FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE

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

Tuathanachas Alba

magazine

Royal Highland Show Preview Scotsheep Open Farm Sunday Scottish Game Fair

Articles Growing vegetables on Mars!

Farm Accidents and Your Rights From Whisky to Biofuel Robotic Bees!

Support for Men in Rural Communities Made in Scotland Food from the Shielings

Flavour of Scotland Ice Creams Food & Drink Mash and Whisky

Travel Scotland Hotels and Kitchen Gardens Meet the Producers Spinks Smokies

£3.75

plus

June 2022

Farmhouse Kitchen • Women in Agriculture Scottish Country Life • The Northern Isles Beatha an Eilean • Book Serial Part 3 including our regular news areas and columns

contents

20

June 2022

53

40

Features

Made in Scotland

20 29

Open Farm Sunday Royal Highland Show Preview 82 Scotsheep 110 Scottish Game Fair

104 Food from the shielings

Articles

Women in Agriculture

15

Growing vegetables on Mars!

27 Farm accidents and workers rights 73 Whisky to biofuel 78 Robotic bees!

120 Support for men

Flavour of Scotland 16

Ice creams

Food & Drink 18

106 Spinks Smokies

108 Edinvale event

Scottish Country Life 116 With Linda Mellor

Book Serialisation 124 Part 3 of Native: Life in a vanishing landscape

Beatha an Eilean

Mash and malt!

126 Life on the Islands

Advertorial 28

Meet the Producers

Farmhouse Kitchen

LBK Packaging

Northern Isles

127 Sunday Roast with Honey Berry Wine

100 Stories from Orkney & Shetland

News Areas

Travel Scotland

6 22 24 26

102 Hotels and kitchen gardens

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

Arable & Root Crops World Farming Farm Security Organics

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

83 74 76 79 87 91 92 98 112 117 121 128 130

Environment Science & Technology Livestock Sheep Pigs Dairy Aquaculture Estate Forestry People Finance Machinery

Columns 6 13 17 19 23 75 77 81 90 94 95 97 109 113 115 118 122 138 138

Editor’s Bit James Hutton Institute Scotland the Brand Scottish Government NFU Scotland Farming for the Climate Farm Advisory Service Quality Meat Scotland National Sheep Association Scottish Dairy Hub Crofting The Vet Southern Belle Conservation Matters Scottish Land & Estates Scottish Forestry R.S.A.B.I. People on the Move The Book Shelf

ADVERTISING MANAGER Barry Tweed Tel. 01475 910153 Email: barry@farmingscotlandmagazine.com

106 Subscriptions

123 Order your own copy here.

Next Issue Out in July.

Featuring Combines, Telehandlers, Trailers, Shows and so much more!

See our website for details. www.farmingscotlandmagazine. com

Advertising & Editorial Enquiries Please call 01738 639747 or email mail@farmingscotlandmagazine.com

COVER IMAGE: A Scottish Highlander

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

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Christina Fleming Email: christina@atholedesign.com COPYRIGHT This publication has been produced and published by ATHOLE DESIGN & PUBLISHING LTD who are the copyright owners. No reproduction, copying, image scanning, storing or recording of any part of this publication without the permission of ATHOLE DESIGN & PUBLISHING LTD. Contents disclaimer: FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE is not responsible for any factual inaccuracies within press information supplied to us. Any concerns regarding such matters should be directed to the supplier of the materials.

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE is designed, produced and published by Athole Design & Publishing Ltd., Tolastadh, 18 Corsie Drive, Kinnoull, Perth, Scotland PH2 7BU. Tel. 01738 639747 est 1994

ISSN: 2041–918X

©ATHOLE DESIGN 2022

facebook.com/FarmingScotlandMagazine

arable & root crops editor's bit “A wise man changes his mind, a fool never will”

For me, this Icelandic proverb sums up the Brexiteer who still thinks that leaving the EU trading block was a fab thing to do despite the carnage at Dover, the lack of much needed EU workers (in Agriculture and the National Health) and of course, the slowly creaking supply chain due to endless paperwork etc.

What a con and lie the whole anti-EU charade was just my personal opinion you understand!

From the Boris Bus lie (He is very good at that) to the Global Britain fantasy, this one single act of idiotic ‘self-harm’ has really started to hit home for many farmers and agricultural food producing businesses throughout these islands, some of which voted to stay in.

I am also hugely tempted to mention the Russian money and influence within a certain political party, and how a certain Mr Putin must have been delighted to see the UK leave the EU (this has been mentioned on many occasions in the press recently – so must be true right?).

Of course, we must all support local farmed produce to try and make up for the losses in exports, but will that be enough?

I hope so, but I have my doubts for a variety of reasons.

In the future I hope to be back in the EU one way or another, as there is nothing wrong in changing your mind.

‘Farmers for Europe’, would have my support.

Listening and learning from ones’ mistakes is, after all, part on growing up, isn’t it Mr Johnson?

Slàinte, Athole.

6

Second Queen’s Award for Haith Group The UK’s leading designer and manufacturer of vegetable handling equipment, Haith, has been awarded its second Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category.

Haith has been recognised for developing its unique and market-leading Rota-Tip box tipping system.

First manufactured in 2011, Haith’s Rota-Tip Up-Eject is trusted by the majority of the UK’s vegetable / potato packers to transfer produce onto washing, sizing and packing lines.

The Rota-Tip Up-Eject is the second Haith machine to

receive a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation. The

company’s Root Veg Polisher was recognised in 2010.

Managing your spring fertiliser strategy for maximum return As soil temperatures in the Scotland have risen sufficiently to stimulate crop growth, it is now crucial to apply fertiliser at the optimum time and crop growth stage for the nutrients to be available to the plants when it needs them. High fertiliser prices this year have added even greater significance to maximise any return on investment. Alan MacKechnie, area sales manager at Origin Fertilisers in Scotland, offers some advice for farmers looking to apply nutrition in the coming months.

As European and GB nitrogen production reduced late last year due to high gas prices, straight nitrogen has been imported from a wider pool of countries and therefore may lead to increased variability in granule colour, size, density, and crush strength – all of which will affect its ability to be spread across the desired area.Farmers

and growers should be giving more attention than normal to setting up their spreaders and be willing to tweak settings if the product isn’t reaching the intended target. Gaining the best return from valuable nutrients requires expert advice, so checking and calibrating spreaders for each product using calibration experts such as SCS, will be vital.

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

If you secured a supply of straight nitrogen when prices began to rise earlier in the season, it is still not too late to incorporate sulphur into your fertiliser programme to improve nitrogen use efficiency and add valuable nutrition to this year’s crops.

An application of 100kg of Polysulphate (48%SO3, 14K20, 17%CaO, 9%MgO)

arable & root crops would supply around 48kg of SO3 to the growing crop over the course of the season – enough for most cereal crops according to RB209. An application in

May will still enhance the uptake of nitrogen as opposed to no application at all.

Sulphur is an essential nutrient that is key for protein

formation and has a direct influence on improving crop quality, and crops with high nitrogen input tend to have increased sulphur requirements

as it helps plants use nitrogen more effectively, so overlooking a sulphur application will lead to some of the nitrogen applied not being available to the plant.

Silicon improves yield and soil health Silicon, the world’s second most abundant element, can increase yield, improve soil health, strength plants and improve disease response, suggests silicon biostimulants specialist Orion FT. Using silicon can also help UK farmers reach ELMS targets by reducing the use of chemicals and fertilisers. “Silicon offers countless benefits to crops and soil health. It boosts the genetic potential of plants by strengthening cells, enhancing cuticle thickness, and increasing leaf hair length. These benefits increase a plant’s resilience to factors such as pest or disease penetration, as well as water stress,” explains Orion FT director James Kennedy.

Orion FT offers a range of silicon products which enhance the crop’s natural defences to protect against pest and pathogen attack. “Silicon only becomes available to plants in its monosilisilic form. Our enhanced iNHiB™Technology makes silicon available to the crops in this way to help mitigate plant stress,” says Mr Kennedy.

Once absorbed, silicon is deposited within and between the cells of the plant. It has been proven to increase wheat yields and reduce damage caused by grazing pests such as cabbage stem flea beetle and slugs.

Silicon encourages crops to absorb beneficial elements such as zinc, calcium, and nitrogen.

It can also help to regulate

phosphorus uptake and prevent toxicity from trace metals in the soil. “Silicon can be applied at every crop growth stage and using a variety of application methods, including direct to soil, as a seed treatment, via fertigation, and as a foliar spray,” he says.

An AHBD biostimulant review referenced a number of scientific papers recognising the benefits of silicon. “The benefits are clear, and Orion FT

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

is at the forefront of research and product formulation in this area. Our innovative silicon technology and expertise can help farmers and growers realise tangible improvements within their farming systems.

With input prices rising and a reduction in the number of chemicals available for use in the UK, silicon represents a new way to improve plant health and increase crop yields,” he concludes.

7

arable & root crops New crop trials promise a versatile, ecofriendly, profitable replacement for maize Early trials are underway ahead of a major UK-wide agronomy trial of Sunergy, a low-input, high-output perennial crop that promises to replace maize and solve many problems of cropping rotation while offering significant environmental and financial benefits.

Trials in Kent, north Lincolnshire and South Wales will test the performance of Sunergy, whose Latin name is Silphium perfoliatum. Also known as compass or cup plant, it is a member of the Asteraceae family, has a 10–15-year life span, and once established is resilient, reliable, and unaffected by major pests or diseases.

Sunergy has a wide range of end uses, including as an anaerobic digestion (AD) fuel, ruminant feed, and even as a human food source. It has a complex root structure which acts as a carbon sink while improving soil health, and is an excellent nectar source for pollinators.

Sunergy is suited to wide range of growing sites, and being a perennial plant, its roots continue to grow year on year while the soil remains undisturbed.

This allows networks of beneficial microbes to flourish, further increasing the

8

amount of sequestered carbon.

Looking towards a future where carbon credits will be traded and farms will make an income from offsetting companies’ carbon emissions, this is a potentially lucrative application of Sunergy that also brings major environmental benefits.

The Sunergy root system also loosens the soil and supplies it with oxygen, causing it to absorb more water and reducing the risk of erosion. In addition, the soil is covered and protected all year round, and Sunergy provides an ideal habitat for insects and birds. It also has a very low fertiliser and agricultural chemical input requirement, making it cost effective and good for the environment.

Another attractive proposition is AD energy production, for which Sunergy’s dry matter yield is similar to a good crop of maize silage.

“The gas yields are approximately 80% of that of maize but, due to the low input nature of the crop, there is an economic advantage to growing Sunergy over a ten-year period,” says Nick Green, agronomist at Newtone Agriscapes, which is the UK distributor for Sunergy.

“Sunergy is a more consistent crop than maize so budgeting

for production is made easier without concerns of over and under production of feed stocks, meaning less land rents or outsourcing production,” Nick adds.

A low maintenance crop that is sown once then harvested for 10-15 years, Sunergy’s wider usages are still being explored.

Work is underway to develop use of its fibre in packaging and to use its proteins in products such as cosmetics. Sunergy is also suitable for use in vegan friendly foods.

“Once established, Sunergy is a very low input crop with high outputs,” says Nick. “It’s resilient and reliable in a changing climate and is suited to a wide range of sites, even the more marginal ones.

It’s beneficial to the environment and wildlife, can be used as silage for anaerobic digesters, and has multiple other benefits and applications, from animal feed to carbon sequestration. It’s a way for farmers to remain productive and profitable while also being kinder to the environment and wildlife.”

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Subscription page 123

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

arable & root crops Omex commit to helping farmers reduce ammonia emissions

Defra has announced new rules on ammonia mitigation for urea fertilisers, which include the use of liquid UAN fertilisers.

The new ruling means that from 2024, unless mitigation measures are implemented, any fertiliser containing urea such as UAN, excluding urea solutions for foliar applications, applied after the 1st April must include a urease inhibitor.

OMEX’s research and development team have been working to establish the most efficient and effective form of inhibitor to provide its customers with maximum protection for their nitrogen applications and to negate ammonia losses into the atmosphere, ahead of the Defra ruling.

Later this year, the global fertiliser company is planning to launch its own urease inhibitor, which can be tank-mixed with

liquid nitrogen fertilisers if required, once a final year of testing has been completed.

The latest product will appear alongside its range of sustainable crop nutrition products available to farmers.

“We’ve vigorously tested this product before bringing it to market,” says OMEX technical development manager David Booty. “The process of ‘Growing with OMEX’ is science based and science led, meaning the customer will see a real benefit from any of the products OMEX offer.

“Trials have shown that the potential for ammonia loss from liquid UAN is typically much less than half of that from solid urea,” he says. “Trials are also demonstrating that the use of OMEX’s inhibitor, in high volatilization risk situations, can further reduce these losses by more than 70%.”

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Next issue out July 2022

Focus on security and on-farm performance reflected in new sugar beet recommendations

Limagrain UK has added two exciting sugar beet varieties to the BBRO 2023 Recommended

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

List. These two very different varieties reflect the breadth of the Betaseed breeding approach

9

arable & root crops of producing varieties that today’s growers are looking for, offering good security for on farm performance.

BTS 3610 offers one of the best all round packages for delivering on-farm performance through a combination of a competitive yield, a high sugar content and good disease resistance.

BTS SMART 9485 is the highest yielding ALS herbicide

resistant variety – a step up over current ALS genetics.

“Whilst BTS 3610 sits in the pack for top yielders at 101.6% (adjusted tonnes %), and has one of the highest sugar contents of 17.3%, this variety is about more than just yields,” says Ron Granger, arable technical manager for Limagrain UK. “We know that growers are increasingly looking for on-farm

security in the varieties they choose to grow, and to offer this a variety must have the right combination of agronomics and a robust disease resistance profile.”

With BTS 3610, this is exactly what is on offer; BTS 3610 has a very good disease resistance package with a rating of 5.9 for rust, 5.3 for powdery mildew and a 6.6 for Cercospora.”

“This robust disease resistance package is backed up by its high untreated yield of 101.2% in trials – demonstrating breeders focus on producing more resilient varieties for the market place.”

BTS 3610 has a flexible drilling window, suitable for both the earlier and normal drilling dates and is Rhizomania tolerant.

Assistance to optimise spring grass weed application This season, farmers and sprayer operators can receive instant individual advice to optimise every Axial Pro application.

Each product box now comes with a QR code for operators to quickly scan and download the invaluable Syngenta Spray Assist App. Furthermore, the code gives growers and agronomists free access to Syngenta’s powerful Protector digital platform and agronomic management tool for a full crop year.

Syngenta Spray Assist provides an exciting tool to enhance spring grass weed control, as well as ensuring optimum application techniques for other timings and crops throughout the season.

Simply completing a few details on farm location, and equipment, the App’s powerful algorithms combine a wealth of application trials results with weather data, crop, growth stage and treatment, to compute the optimum sprayer settings and recommendations.

Syngenta New Farming Technologies application specialist, Harry Fordham, highlighted trials had shown that tailoring Axial Pro application technique to the size of the weed and the crop can significantly enhance results.

“Early applications while weeds and crop are still small, that are the priority to prevent grass weed competition and minimise viable seed return, 10

are best delivered with angled nozzles, producing a medium droplet spectrum at 100 l/ha,” he advised.

“However, as the crop extends above the weeds, a switch to a more vertical nozzle producing a larger droplet spectrum can achieve better penetration through the canopy to reach weed leaves.

“Spray Assist will give the best combination of the operator’s available nozzles and sprayer settings to achieve optimum results in the conditions.” Using the App’s unique forecast facility for the coming days could potentially enable applications to be adjusted to take advantage of better conditions, where possible.

Why calcium and boron are vital for a robust potato crop Calcium and boron are two of the most cited nutrients when it comes to reducing disease in crops. These critical nutrients play a vital role in forming robust protection against disease and other defects within the plant, and growers trying to get the most from their potato crop this

season should not underestimate their importance.

“Most growers and agronomists are aware of the role calcium plays when it comes to pH and producing friable soil,” says Mark Tucker, Agronomy Manager at Yara. “However, less widely known is how

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

calcium and boron create wellstrengthened cell membranes within the plant, preventing the onset of disease and other issues that could otherwise undermine crop stability.”

Nutrient deficiency is a widespread and often undetected issue for farms across the UK;

arable & root crops even where no visible symptoms are present, the crop’s potential can be weakened by hidden issues that lead to financial loss.

“Some data estimates that up to 60% of crops are damaged in some way,” says Oscar Thacker, Area Manager at Yara. “With potatoes, we’re dealing with fresh market goods. The end user is looking for high quality produce with no real defects to it – not just internally, but also when it comes to the exterior when harvesting, whether that’s by hand or mechanical.”

Robust cell structure within the potato crop is key for preventing damage during harvest. Plant cells are delicate; the harvesting process, particularly when performed mechanically, can create a hefty amount of damage.

“Where there’s damage, disease and bacteria can come in,” says Oscar. “This leads to problems like in-store rot and other defects. All of this creates

additional costs as a result, which are worth minimising. It comes to the waste side of things – how much are we throwing out at the time of packing? Obviously, calcium and boron can help affect that.”

Calcium and boron work in synergy.. However, deficiencies tend to occur in different soils, which can pose a problem.

Boron deficiencies often emerge in sandy soils at a higher pH, and calcium deficiencies tend to be seen at a lower pH. Therefore focusing on a pH of 6.5 is the best way to ensure optimum availability for the crop.”

Sums add up for potato weed control Greater use of natural regeneration breaks and cover crops in arable rotations means the weed seed

burden of some of the more troublesome weeds for potatoes are on the increase. Cleavers,

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

mayweed and shepherd’s purse, for example, can proliferate rapidly in a single season.

11

arable & root crops Potato growers feeling the pinch of price pressures this spring could look at simplifying herbicide mixes for more costeffective pre-emergence options, advocates Syngenta Technical Manager, Andy Cunningham.

“Recent potato herbicide introductions have increased agronomists’ options. In many instances, however, simple mixes can achieve everything growers want, at lower relative cost,” he suggests.

“Many of the key weeds that burden early potato emergence can be controlled, using the strength of mixes to widen the specific weed spectrum,” he advised.

Recent season’s trials had shown a mixture of Defy (prosulfocarb) at 4.0 l/ha + metabromuron at a reduced rate of 1.0 l/ha, for example, achieved full control of assessed broad-leaved weeds, including chickweed, mayweed, cleaver and shepherd’s purse. Untreated weed pressure from these species was more than 70 per m2.

That combination, typically costing just £43 per hectare at current prices, was even more

effective overall compared to Defy at 3.0 l/ha and metabromuron at a rate of 2.0 l/ ha, which would cost nearly £55/ ha and proved slightly weaker on cleavers.

Using Defy at 4.0 l/ha plus metribuzin at 0.5 l/ha could also reduce costs, but the trial showed that overall effects on some weeds could be reduced. “It is important to know the target weed spectrum when putting together mixes of the most costeffective actives and appropriate rates,” advised Mr Cunningham.

As well as the wide spectrum of broad-leaved weeds controlled

by Defy, it also offers control of grass weeds including meadow grasses and ryegrass. Using a higher rate extends the residual activity and means applications can be conveniently made soon after planting, until soil is rising over emerging potato shoots, to keep fields clean through to crop emergence.

New Syngenta potato trials for the 2022 season are set to investigate the extra benefit of total weed spectrum control from increasing Defy rates to 5.0 l/ha, at marginal extra cost in a

high-pressure situation, as well as mixes with new and existing herbicides.

“Some options with newer herbicides in the trial add up to in excess of £100 per hectare, with others as low as £20. It’s vital to tease out what each component is contributing, to enable better informed decisions in the future,” he added.

Weed multiplication. One shepherd’s purse plant, for example, can produce over 3000 seeds, and is capable of

cycling three generations in a season if left uncontrolled. The seeds are long-lived and will emerge quickly when brought to the surface by potato seedbed cultivations.

“Growers should also be aware that shepherd’s purse is a host for white blister, which can be spread to brassica crops if they are grown in the rotation,” warned Mr Cunningham.

Although seen as relatively easy to control, the burden and the costs of control are rising.

LG Yyphoon – a wheat bred with consistency and security in mind LG Typhoon is a high yielding Group 4 hard wheat from breeders Limagrain UK, that joined the AHDB Recommended List in 2022-2023 and will be available to UK growers this autumn.

LG Typhoon offers the package that growers have been asking for in a hard wheat; a high yielding, consistent and resilient variety with a solid all-round disease package and OWBM resistance.

“LG Typhoon delivers an exceptional consistency of performance across very different seasons and regions of the UK, yielding 102% - a great attribute to have in any variety,” says Ron Granger, Limagrain UK’s arable technical manager.

12

Mr Granger acknowledges that whilst yield is important, growers fundamentally like to grow robust varieties that deliver time and again across seasons and rotations. “This is exactly what LG Typhoon does.”

He attributes LG Typhoon’s consistency of performance across locations, seasons and rotations, mostly down to the variety’s excellent all-round foliar disease resistance and agronomic characteristics.

“It has a very good untreated yield (89%); an important attribute even in the hard feed sector, that was traditionally a high input, high output scenario, and is a valuable tool regarding fungicide programmes and timings,” he says. www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

“LG Typhoon’s resistance rating of 7.2 (3 year data set) for Septoria, comes from a combination of genetic sources different to those in the majority of current RL varieties, and is a significant factor in protecting this resistance rating going forward.”

“It has an excellent yellow rust resistance of 9, combined with YR seedling resistance; a valuable insurance around the earlier spray windows of T0 & T1, where yellow rust can be the main focus in regional high pressure situations.”

LG Typhoon is slightly later to mature (+2), similar to Costello, but Mr Granger does not see this as an issue. “As we learnt with our later variety Revelation (+3), it is important to have a range of maturities across the farm to spread harvest risk in catchy seasons,” he adds.

Heat stress proves major pain point for potato growers Potato growers now recognise high temperatures as the greatest threat of the key abiotic stresses.

New research into the current and future role of biostimulants in potato crop agronomy ranked heat at 74 out of 100, compared to drought at 71, nutrient deficiency at 64 and intensive light at 57.

Results show that 37% of farmers questioned ranked heat stress of very high impact (9 or 10 out of 10), with a total of 70% scoring it as seven or higher. Just 13% perceived the effect on their crops to be a score of four or below.

While drought clearly has potentially larger impact on yield - and was seen to be causing increasingly greater issues with extremes of weather - the majority of ware crops were irrigated to mitigate and manage

How Scottish farmers and crofters are changing food systems with agroecology New research by James Hutton Institute scientists and partner organisations explores the use of sustainable farming practices in Scotland and how these support longterm land productivity and resilience amongst agricultural ?????????????????/ businesses.

The work, funded by SEFARI Gateway, and the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC), and in collaboration with the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS) and Soil Association Scotland (SAS), was conducted by Dr Luz-Maria Lozada, a social scientist, and Dr Alison Karley, an agroecologist, both based at the James Hutton Institute.

Agroecology embraces multiple alternative farming approaches and practices, including regenerative, organic, permaculture, and Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF). The research showed that many respondents farmed using an approach that could be classed as agroecological.

Dr Lozada said: “Our analysis shows many Scottish farmers and crofters are innovating in the way they farm and produce food, motivated by the desire to improve soil health and biodiversity, and reduce inputs. They also see wider social benefits from creating closer links between their

farms, local communities, and the consumers of their farm products.”

Dr Karley added: “Agroecological farming approaches are knowledge intensive, and we need to think creatively about mechanisms to support the transition, whether through advice, training, incentives, or other means.”

The research highlights how Scottish agriculture can lead the way in food system transformation to create socially and ecologically sustainable systems that are also economically viable.

Sue Pritchard, Chief Executive of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission, welcomed the report: “This research shows that farmers, crofters, land managers and growers across Scotland can be a force for change, adapting to new

practices to develop resilient and diverse businesses fit for the future.

“Our Farming for Change evidence shows agroecology works - now it’s time for government to show support for finance, knowledge and skills that meet the needs of these innovators and address the triple challenge of the nature, health and climate crises.”

The full research report can be found on the SEFARI website, along with recommendations for supporting broader uptake of farming approaches using agroecology principles.

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

arable & root crops its effects. Drought and heat stress is inextricably linked for growers.

However, coping with heat stress was now recognised as a more difficult challenge, reported Andy Cunningham, Syngenta Biostimulants Technical Manager. “Growers most frequently cited the effects of heat in limiting tuber bulking, leading to lower yields and more variable tuber size. Resulting uneven growth and associated cracking impacting on tuber quality was also highlighted.”

Growers and agronomists recognised temperatures of 24 25ºC would result in heat stress during the growing season, but even at temperatures above 20ºC believed that tuber bulking would be slowed. During periods of heat stress affected plants would be less effective in taking up irrigation water, along with risk of triggering further stress when applying cold water onto heat stressed potatoes was also pointed out.

14

“Both growers and agronomists highlighted there are varietal differences in tolerance and response to heat stress, but there is no comparative reference information and therefore rely on personal experience on their farms,” said Andy.

The research highlighted that while 40% of potato growers currently see biostimulants as highly important to their crops’ agronomy (ranked as 7 or more), 80% believe they will be in the next five years. Some 23% of growers questioned don’t see biostimulants as important now, but only 3% think that will be the case in five years.

Among specialist potato agronomists and advisors, around 19% currently see biostimulants of high importance, however 60% believe that they will be within five years.

Most growers and advisors see the key role of biostimulants in helping to manage the effects of drought and high temperatures

(72% & 35%). Other benefits sought include effects on nutrient deficiency, blight infection and nematode induced stress.

“The market data has indicated growers and agronomists are looking for more detailed technical information on how and why Quantis works to help potato plants better cope with the effects of stress.

We now have results of incredibly detailed independent research by University of Nottingham that pinpoints what is happening in the plant and the benefits that can have,” added Andy.

“Furthermore, results of in-field trials and research is

refining recommendations for the timing and application of Quantis relative to heat events occurring in the crop this season,” he advised.

The quantitative market research involved 60 potato growers and specialist agronomists across England and Scotland, including 10 farmers growing over 100 ha of potatoes and advisors covering a total of 25,666 hectares. Among growers 70% of the crop was grown under contract, including 52% of total area for pre-pack, 32% for crisps or chipping and 7% for seed.

Article

Growing vegetables on Mars using fish, water and waste • Project looks at circular system for growing food on red planet • Recreates Martian conditions in Greenwich • Eventual aim is to supply colonists with a balanced and interesting diet Growing food on Mars is the subject of a new study and installation at the University of Greenwich.

The Feeding Mars exhibition showcases a live experiment growing vegetables, herbs and fruits in Martian simulant soils.

The crops will grow using an aquaponic system – a circular way of growing food which uses water, fish and fish waste.

The exhibition will feature fish tanks, filtration units and plant growing tents. It will work as a pilot version to gather data to assist in a bigger, collaborative bid. It will be at the Project Space in the university’s Stockwell Street building (17 March to 22 May).

Dr Benz Kotzen, from the university’s School of Design, is an aquaponics expert. He said: “The prime aim of the project is to see whether this aquaponic system can provide the appropriate nutrients for growing plants in soil conditions that replicate Mars.

“We’ll be studying the effects of fish waste on the quality of different vegetable, fruit and herb crops grown in a Martian regolith simulant. This is the type of ‘soil’ found on Mars, as well as arid areas on Earth where there is no organic content in the soil. We can then compare these to the same crops grown using a standard horticultural soil, and evaluate the biophysical evolution of the regolith treated with fish effluents towards a productive soil.”

NASA and other space agencies are discussing the possibility of creating settlements on the Moon, as well as on Mars,

which could potentially support human life.

Artists and scientists from Greenwich have started looking at how humans might survive on other planets. The university has been working on the coproduction of fish and vegetables in aquaponic systems since 2014. The Feeding Mars project provides an opportunity to give visitors a glimpse of future food production technology on Earth and in space.

Dr Kotzen added: “We’re looking at Mars because it has a day length similar to that of Earth, and water in the form of ice on its surface and in the rocks below.

“Mars is 54.6 million km away from Earth, and it would take around seven months to get there using current technology.

“This means most of the food required will need to be produced

in situ. Living on Mars will therefore require growing freshly produced food to supply longterm colonists with a balanced nutritional and interesting diet.”

Aquaponics is an innovative food production system where the waste from fish is converted by bacteria that occur naturally in water into nutrients for the plants.

The water is returned to the fish after being cleaned by the plants.

“You can use this system to grow lots of food, such as vegetables, salads, herbs, teas and medicinal plants,” added Dr Kotzen.

“The fish we will use are tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

The Aquaponics Group, School of Design, are researching alternative feeds including protein from black soldier fly larvae, which potentially could be produced on Mars.

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

“In this pilot study, the fish are provided with the appropriate environment and feed for them to thrive, with constant monitoring of their health and wellbeing. The idea is the fish transported would be used to provide the nutrients to grow plants. Once at the right size, the fish can be eaten. The bits of the fish that aren’t eaten will be used to make fishmeal that can also be used as fertiliser for plants.”

If the pilot goes well the team will expand the project. The plants will be grown initially in small trays and pots before being moved – after they become seedlings – to larger pots.

These will be in a large grow tent which will simulate Mars growing conditions in terms of light, temperature, humidity and air movement.

Pictures show the entire system in place; the fish tank (with filtration units); inside of growing tent. Fish tank is roughly 2m diameter and 1m deep, growing tent is about 3m high, 1.5m wide and 2m deep.

Taking part in the project are: Dr Benz Kotzen, Principal Investigator of Project, School of Design; Dr Sarah Milliken, CoInvestigator of Project, Research Fellow, School of Design; Dr Marcos Paradelo Perez, Soils and Experimental Design, Fellow in Soils, Natural Resources Institute (NRI); Lorenzo Fruscella, PhD student in soil-based aquaponics in the School of Design; Kam Rehal, Exhibition Designer; Emmanouil Kanellos, Exhibition Designer; Dr Andrew Knight Hill, Sound Designer.

15

FLAVOUR OF SCOTLAND

Mackie’s looks local for UK-wide ice cream launches New flavours by Mackie’s of Scotland to land in supermarkets

MACKIE’S of Scotland has revealed two new flavour combinations set to hit freezer aisles this month – with both representing a celebration of locally-grown summer fruits.

White Chocolate and Raspberry becomes the latest addition to its Indulgent range, while Strawberry Swirl will become an immediate part of the classic range.

16

A positive stockist response means that both flavours will be available UK-wide, with White Chocolate and Raspberry initially available in Tesco in Scotland and Ocado in England and Wales.

Strawberry Swirl will be in Scottish Tesco stores along with an extended listing in Sainsbury’s stores throughout the UK. All the fruit used has been sourced from a fellow

Aberdeenshire family farming business, Castleton Farm – with sauces created in-house by Mackie’s, using a recently added saucing machine with gentle processing technology for the whole fruit. The machines are a further investment towards being able to make even more ingredients on the farm - from flavouring like jam compotes or salted caramel to small batches of chocolate.

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Kirstin McNutt, Development Director with Mackie’s oversaw the intensive new product development behind both flavours, a process that included several innovations for the brand.

She said: “We want to constantly surprise and delight ice cream lovers and these two new flavours will offer something very new and different.

FLAVOUR OF SCOTLAND “For the white chocolate sauce, we worked to create something ourselves that would stay soft and luxurious in the ice cream. To do that we had to make our own base white chocolate, before turning it into a ganache with cream and golden syrup, before swirling it through the ice cream along with the zingy raspberry.

“Strawberry Swirl is a refresh of our strawberry ice cream, the big difference being our new hand-made 100% fruit compote ‘swirl’ - giving the strawberry ice cream a double hit of summer fruit.

“We’re delighted to be working with local fruit farm Castleton in creating this new flavour. Mackie’s and Castleton are two companies with similar ethos: both are family businesses, aim to be selfsufficient in renewable energy and, of course, have a love of desserts!”

Established in 1992, by the Mitchell family, now headed up by Ross and Anna Mitchell, Castleton Farm grows and produces traditional Scottish food and fruit, all grown, picked and processed on its family farm.

Like Mackie’s it was an earlyadopter of renewable energy and prides itself on being a blend of both innovation and tradition.

The successful family-run business also manufactures food products and runs a café and farm shop with an aim to farm profitably, in an environmentally and ethically sustainable way.

The business is carbon positive and self-sustainable, with energy generated in a variety of ways, through solar panels, biomass boilers, CHP (combined heat & power) units and a heat pump.

On trying the final product for the first time, Aileen MacDonald, packing manager from Castleton Farm, said: “ The ’White Chocolate and Raspberry’ ice cream is delicious, it’s sweet with the chocolate, yet has a refreshing tang of our raspberries , I’d

call it a grown up version of Raspberry Ripple!”

“Enabled by a mix of polytunnels and biomass heat, our growing season runs from March to December, meaning we have plenty of fresh local fruit on hand to supply throughout the year. The fruit is picked and graded by hand to ensure best quality whether delivered fresh or frozen.”

“Mackie’s uses our top-grade raspberries and strawberries, frozen on the day they are picked to protect their quality.

The entire fruit goes into the compote, adding taste, texture and colour.”

Scotland’s fruit is famed for its flavour as the temperate climate allows the berries to ripen slowly, creating a particularly sweet flavour.

Key to the development of White Chocolate and Raspberry were the ‘Friends of Mackie’s’ – a newsletter club of more than 50,000 fans of the business, who voted for the new flavour combination to become Mackie’s next launch.

Variations of the recipe were then trialled in Mackie’s 19.2, the company’s ice cream parlour in central Aberdeen. The name reflects the 19.2 miles distance to the family farm where it has made ice cream since 1986.

Mackie’s experiments with new flavours in the parlour and visitors can enjoy various seasonal specials in addition to being able to try new products destined for the retail range.

Ice cream and chocolate lovers can also get all the latest updates from the farm by joining the Friends of Mackie’s newsletter https://www.mackies. co.uk/ and subscribers can enjoy exclusive offers and tasting opportunities to play a key part in new product creations.

To find out more Mackie’s, please visit: mackies.co.uk To find out more Castelton, please visit: castletonfarm.co.uk

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

about www. about www.

Scotland The Brand

Scottish Eggs, Clearly

By Ruth Watson At a time when food security is at the forefront of many minds, Scotland’s egg producers are caught in an astonishing bind.

With prices of fuel, fertiliser, and feed soaring, the egg sector is facing the stark reality of a market in oversupply; with supermarkets quick to spot an opportunity to pull down the prices they pay, many farmers face increasingly difficult choices.

In March alone, the price of feed for chickens went up £100 a tonne over the course of one week, adding 20p per dozen to the cost of producing eggs – a price supermarkets are unlikely to pay farmers. As well as being the NFUS representative for Angus, Matthew Steel is a third-generation egg producer.

“There is an oversupply of eggs in Scotland and the market is correcting itself,” he says, “but it should never have got to this point. People will go out of business and that could lead to shortages.”

Brian Blyth, of D. Blyth and Sons, Ltd, has found the solution which works for his business: developing a local

market, and distinctive boxes which clearly state the provenance of the eggs.

“The industry fought for SCO to be directly on the egg, not just a number.

Scotland’s name has always been a good selling point and that’s why we decided to put all the information about where our eggs come from on the box,” Brian says. “I don’t deal with supermarkets.

A big part of our business is through mobile fish vans and local dairies which deliver door to door. During lockdown, our delivery drivers were out every day making sure local shops had fresh eggs when the supermarkets had nothing on the shelves. A lot of people appreciated what we did and stayed with us.”

While supermarkets play a significant part in the food supply chain, the demands they make on farmers means many producers are looking at local as a way not just to survive, but to thrive.

Ruth Watson is the founder of the Keep Scotland the Brand campaign.

17

food & drink New fresh no fuss mash straight from the farm of nutrient-packed vegetable side dishes with long shelf life, offering customers guilt-free convenience.

Launched at Scotland’s Speciality Food Show (27-29 March) in Glasgow, the initial seven flavours - chorizo mash, wholegrain mustard mash, cheesy mash, haggis ‘n’ mash, colcannon mash, root veg mash and classic creamy farm mash cook in under four minutes and whistle when the mash is evenly warmed and ready to eat. www.upperdysart.co.uk

Grown, Malted, and Distilled in Northumberland The Perfect Provenance for Northumberland’s Ad Gefrin Whisky Distillery

Ad Gefrin is delighted to announce that the inaugural barley growers for making its

Copyright Sally Ann Norman

The enterprising farming family behind Stirfresh has launched an innovative range of fresh ‘no fuss’ premium mash, cooked and packed on their farm on the East Coast of Scotland. With emphasis on the taste and texture of home cooking, the Upper Dysart Larder mash is sealed for freshness for 30 days, without the need for preservatives.

Andrew and Anita Stirling have farmed potatoes at Upper Dysart Farm near Montrose for 30 years and in the early 2000s Stirfresh was set up, supplying washed and peeled fresh vegetables for schools and hospitals across Scotland. In recent years, they have built on this to create convenient ‘easy veg’ for retailers, from turnip mash, soup packs and parcooked baked potatoes and are the largest supplier of washed potatoes to Aldi in Scotland.

With the rise in demand for healthy convenient meals, they have invested in the latest technology to create a series

Ad Gefrin Barley Farmer Tom Jackson Northfield Farm, Lowick

18

Northumbrian Whisky, will be farms all within 10 miles of the Distillery itself. The barley will be stored locally, and malted in Berwick Upon Tweed, by Simpsons Malt, before delivery to Wooler. Fully traceable the whole operation is happening within a 20-mile radius of Ad Gefrin!

Northumberland is renowned for producing the very best quality barley and it is in demand throughout the world. The type of barley chosen for Ad Gefrin is Diablo, the highest yielding spring barley on the market. The four farmers selected to grow in the region of 400 tonnes between them for Ad Gefrin, are Tom Jackson, growing at Northfield Farm, Lowick, George Farr of Pallinsburn, David Warcup of Letham Hill Farm, Etal and Cameron Shell of Brandon near Powburn.

Ben Murphy, Head Distiller at Ad Gefrin said, “It is so

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

exciting to be able to produce a malt which will be grown by local farmers, and malted

by Simpsons Malt, who are literally just up the road. The relationship with growers will be collaborative, as the barley is grown and malted specifically for us.”

Ad Gefrin will be the first ever commercial whisky distillery in Northumberland and will be opening its doors to the public in the Autumn of this year. As well as creating the first Northumbrian Single Malt Whisky, and in the region of 50 jobs, this £10.4m development will include a world class cultural visitor experience celebrating Northumbria’s Golden Age.

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Next issue out July 2022

food & drink Challenging thinking around red meat production

The Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant Scheme

By Mairi Gougeon

The Health and Education Team at Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) has built a new toolkit to inspire greater consumer understanding of red meat production in Scotland.

This hub of over fifteen teaching resources has been instigated in part by discussions with schools, colleges and universities who are continually looking for creative ways to engage school pupils, as well as higher and further education students, with the red meat food system. It also provides those in the Industry who are involved in speaking to young people, whether that is during farm visits or talks in schools, with the facts and figures at their fingertips.

Alix Ritchie, of QMS Health and Education, said: “Collaboration is key, and working together with The Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET), educators and our stakeholders, we are much

greater than the sum of our parts as we continue to work to strengthen and futureproof our red meat industry.

“We are all committed to helping the next generation understand where our food comes from and how it is interwoven with caring for the animals, the climate, the countryside and feeding the world with healthy, nutritional food.”

The toolkit is free to use and signposts directly to the digital platform “Farming Foodsteps” which includes fast facts, short films, interactive quizzes and real-life scenarios, covering animal welfare, traceability and the interplay of lamb and beef production with the natural environment.”

To access the full toolkit which will soon be sent to educators across the country, see: https://www.qmscotland. co.uk/Education_Toolkit

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

We want to help people in Scotland to farm and croft more sustainably as we work to become a global leader in regenerative agriculture. As we make this transition, we know that change is needed, not least to ensure farming and crofting is low carbon in the future and is contributing to climate change targets.

Helping farmers and crofters to change their practice by ensuring they have access to the right equipment, tools and knowledge is key.

The Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant Scheme (SACGS) will provide support for farmers and crofters to contribute to our climate change ambitions and to cut their emissions and farm more sustainably.

Following the SACGS pilot scheme, stakeholders called for better targeting and support to be given to equipment with a recognised evidence base. The 2022 scheme addresses these issues and specifically targets low emission slurry spreading equipment and slurry store covers that are proven to lower ammonia emissions, protecting our vital water environment and reducing the agricultural impact on climate change and air quality.

Another one of the ways we can help businesses contribute to the green economic recovery by farming and crofting more sustainably is through the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund (KTIF) which is delivered

through the Scottish Government’s rural budget and helps to drive forward innovation and knowledge transfer in agriculture KTIF has a significant track record in supporting projects which enable farmers, crofters and land managers to create improved opportunities for nature, adapt to climate change and benefit from new organic farming materials.

The fund promotes skills development and knowledge transfer in the primary agricultural sector. Through providing funding to organisations to deliver vocational training, coaching, workshops, courses and farm visits designed to develop skills and transfer knowledge.

The second aim is to deliver innovation on-the-ground improvements in agricultural competitiveness, resource efficiency, environmental performance and sustainability.

This can be done through projects which generate new insights and innovative ideas, as well as mobilising existing knowledge into practical solutions.

The latest round of KTIF opened to applications in March for projects aiming to introduce new and innovative approaches in agricultural practice or improve sector knowledge transfer and skills.

This round is supported by up to £1.6 million with up to £150,000 available per project.

Through this scheme, we’ve helped to fund some really exciting projects over the last few years and I’m looking forward to seeing the successful projects from the latest round.

To find out more about these schemes please search for them on the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Services website.

OPEN FARM SUNDAY

Fact or Fiction – the truth about LEAF Open Farm Sunday With much of the UK population three or four generations removed from any connection with farming, even from knowing a farmer, it’s perhaps not surprising there is some misunderstanding and sometimes false perceptions about the agricultural industry especially amongst urban people. Farmers however, have the power to change this, to demonstrate all they deliver as food producers, custodians of the countryside and tackling climate change, as well as building loyalty for British food and encouraging some much-needed people into the industry.

A range of great initiatives have been helping to reduce the rural-urban divide - from Agritourism, Quality Meat Scotland’s Farm Kid Diaries and LEAF Education’s many outreach activities like Farmer Time and Farming Fortnight, which are bringing farming into

General - Soil inspection - Hill Farm

20

the classroom. But one of the original, and arguably the most powerful initiatives is LEAF Open Farm Sunday. In one day, it gives thousands of people, across generations, interests and geographical locations, a genuine farm experience and opportunity to meet a farmer, ask questions and see farming at first hand.

It brings with it authenticity and provides a powerful platform to demonstrate to the increasingly conscious consumer what farmers are doing for the environment, a topic that is at the forefront of many current discussions.

Arable farmer and social media sensation, Ally Hunter Blair recently highlighted how far the perception of farming is from the reality on a LEAF Open Farm Sunday podcast.

“I think it’s important that people understand what happens on a modern farm. I’ve got a

two-year-old daughter and as you go through her kids’ books, it portrays quite an old-fashioned model; it’s that nostalgic view.

The reality of modern-day arable farming is linked to innovation, science and technology, and that is something that really excites me. On my LEAF Open Farm Sunday, I drew a big 2.5m circle in the grain store showing how accurate a mobile phone GPS is, so everyone could relate to it. I then drew another circle with a 50 pence piece in the middle and people couldn’t believe this massive tractor that was parked next to them, could drive itself within the diameter of the coin.

Everyone now has a sat nav but they didn’t realise the level of accuracy – it blew their mind!”

Similarly, livestock farmer Grania Phillips, who has worked in the farming industry for over 30 years, feels the disconnect has been fuelled by misleading stories in the news.

Farm visit

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

“There is a real lack of understanding about where our food comes from, and what we actually do on farm. I think the public has all sorts of misconceptions fed to them by the media, particularly about carbon with the focus on cattle and methane. This is really to do with the large feedlots in other countries, not what we do here in the UK, so I really believe this needs counteracting.”

Both Ally and Grania strongly believe the best way to change consumer perceptions and attract individuals from non-farming into the industry, is to invite them onto a farm to see it in action.

National organisers of Open Farm Sunday, LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) are encouraging farmers to open their gates to showcase all that the industry delivers. LEAF Open Farm Sunday Manager, Annabel Shackleton, explained why LOFS is so important.

OPEN FARM SUNDAY “The agricultural sector, like many others, is facing an employment crisis. We have more jobs available than individuals to fill them. In addition, LOFS is an wonderful opportunity for farmers to show the amazing work they do to produce nutritious food, preserve our countryside, and positively contribute to the environment.

“Visitors can ask questions and develop a greater understanding of the work that farmers do. Events don’t need to be large, a farm walk for a few people is just fine – farmers decide the type and size of event they want to hold.

“Every farmer who hosts an event becomes part of the LEAF Open Farm Sunday community, a network that is making a positive difference now, and in the future.

If just one person from every event decided on a career in agriculture, that is several hundred new recruits. And with over a quarter of a million visitors connecting with farming each year on LEAF Open Farm Sunday, the power of collaboration really does have the ability to change perceptions.”

Hosting the public on farm can seem daunting, here we take a look at the myths and facts of hosting a LEAF Open Farm Sunday event: LEAF Open Farm Sunday Myth Busting Myth – you have to own a diversification business to take part.

LEAF Open Farm Sunday is open to any farmer who has a

Family and staff on tractor trailer

passion for sharing what they do, you don’t need a diversification business. Farmers participate to educate the public and build connections with their local community, and almost all events are free entry.

However, if you have a diversification business, it is a great way to bring in some extra income, awareness and build your customer database. If you are considering setting up a small enterprise, you could use LEAF Open Farm Sunday for market research. We do ask that you don’t charge more than £5 for entry.

Myth – you have to run a big event.

Many farms open with a simple farm walk that lasts no more than a couple of hours. You can fully control where visitors go and what they see. You don’t need to bring in extra attractions, be confident that what you have already on the farm is new and interesting to visitors.

The LEAF Open Farm Sunday website is full of creative ideas, and activities to offer on the day without a lot of work.

For example, there is a simple A-to-Z quiz sheet where children are encouraged to find something beginning with each letter… you might have to be creative with Z! Fact – anyone can take part.

All events must take part on a farm, croft or smallholding, but you don’t need to be a member of LEAF to participate and it is completely free. You must

register your event at www. farmsunday.org. On registering you will receive a handbook with full guidance and top tips to help you plan your event, as well as access to lots of free resources.

Fact – LEAF Open Farm Sunday is on 12th June, but you can take part on another day.

We appreciate farming is busy and not everyone can do the 12th June, so we also welcome registrations the week before or after, weekend or mid-week. We have some farms who keep their event small, less than 15 people, and a run a walk on the Saturday and Sunday, or consecutive Sunday’s in June. Others host a small event in the evening mid-week to tie in with a local community group who would like to visit, such as the brownies, guides or scouts. Others will open their gates to hundreds. All of this can be managed through LOFS’ free ticketing service.

Myth – my farm needs to be spotless and “perfect”.

We are proud that those who participate in LEAF Open Farm Sunday are real working farms.

Your farm does not have to be spotless, just an area that is safe and clean. You decide where visitors can go, avoiding areas where you would prefer the public not to visit! You could organize a self-guided farm walk, returning for a cup of tea and talk with the farmer in a shed with bales to sit on.

Fact – livestock farms need to provide hand-washing facilities but a cold water tap is fine.

If you have livestock you must provide hand washing facilities, but you don’t need to go to the expense of hiring in equipment.

A cold running tap with liquid soap and paper towels is sufficient. The dirty water should go directly into a drain or collect in a container below the tap, and have a bin for paper towels. If you are offering catering, the handwashing should be located between the farm and catering area, so visitors wash their hands before consuming any refreshments.

Fact – it is never too late to take part.

You can organise a farm walk with just a few weeks to go and invite friends or a local group to join you. You don’t need to advertise your event publicly, and you can keep the walk very simple. Registrations remain open throughout June, but you may not be able to get all the resources so the earlier you register, the better. And if you do decide you want to support LEAF Open Farm Sunday, but don’t have time to host your own event, why not think about supporting a neighbouring event which will give you a taste for future years.

Together let’s showcase British Farming - www.farmsunday. org

Strawberry picking

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

21

WORLD FARMING

Intercropping melon and cowpea improves soil nutrients and increases melon yields Intercropping is an agricultural practice that involves growing two or more plant species in the same ground at the same time.

This practice enables not only to increase crop productivity, but also to improve soil quality.

Moreover, it brings advantages such as reduced pests and diseases and a greater diversity of microbes and beneficial insects.

Although intercropping with some traditional crops has shown high degrees of success, such as maize with bean and pumpkin in Mexico, which is known as milpa, not all intercropping systems constitute improvements, since there must be a balance between the crops used.

With the aim of increasing the environmental and economic sustainability of agricultural systems, a team from the European Diverfarming project has studied the possibility of using this technique of intercropping with the main summer crop for export in the Region of Murcia: the melon.

To deal with the issue of soil and water degradation caused by the excessive use of pesticides and fertilisers in intensive melon cropping, researchers from the CEBAS – CSIC, the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena (UPCT) and the University of Murcia have analysed the soil nutrients, their physico-chemical properties, the enzyme activity and the soil microbial community (by means of high performance sequencing) of an intercrop of cowpea and melon using ecological farming practices, different growing patterns, and 30% less fertilisation than is usually used in the monocrop.

22

The results have shown a significant increase in total nitrogen levels, available phosphorus, and total organic carbon, as well as in the melon yield in the first year of intercropping, irrespective of the intercropping patterns followed.

With this combination of crops, the consequences of which had not been studied to

date, changes occurred in the bacterial community structure which correlated with an increase in the concentrations of total nitrogen and phosphorus in the soil and in the melon crop yield.

Additionally, a greater abundance of beneficial microorganisms such as Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Streptomyces and Sphingomonas was found.

World’s first dairy certified to NSF Global Animal Wellness Standard Almarai, the largest dairy in the Middle East, is the first in the world to achieve NSF’s innovative Global Animal Wellness Standards (GAWS) for animal welfare management Systems and dairy production.

NSF, a leading global public health and safety organisation, has certified the first-ever company to its Global Animal Wellness Standard (GAWS) for dairy production. Saudi Arabia based Almarai achieved GAWS certification for its dairy and live poultry operations. It is the first company to be certified for dairy production in the world and the first company to be certified for poultry hatchery, meat poultry production and poultry production and poultry transportation in the Middle East.

Launched in 2019, the innovative NSF GAWS is the first system in the food agriculture industry that establishes a universal approach to animal health and wellness.

For the first time, GAWS offers industry producers and buyers an outcome-based solution that addresses the entire lifecycle of all key species. It establishes best practices for how animals are kept, raised, and responsibly managed and, most importantly, addresses animal management systems.

“NSF Global Animal Wellness Standards enable the food industry to shift away from traditional prescriptive approaches to animal welfare schemes, to one focused on systems management and outcomes,” said Dr Elaine Vanier, technical scheme lead for Animal Wellness, NSF International.

“Animal welfare is an issue that impacts the agricultural and food production industry globally.

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

We are pleased that Almarai achieved GAWS certification to help ensure consistent animal wellness is instituted at every stage of their dairy and live poultry production.”

Almarai is the Middle East’s largest dairy producer and the world’s largest vertically integrated dairy company. Since 2019, they have worked closely with NSF to implement animal welfare management systems on their journey to GAWS certification. ”Almarai is one the most trusted food companies in the region and known for its product quality. We place great importance on animal welfare.

Not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also to ensure consistent high quality and safer products,” said Kevin

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE

NFU Scotland

Wonnacott, divisional QHSE manager at Almarai. “NSF has been hugely supportive throughout the whole process, which enabled us to setup up and aligned our animal welfare management system to the latest international standards.”

GAWS aligns with Almarai’s sustainability strategy, Better Every Day, which focuses on caring for consumers, protecting the environment and producing responsible products.

NSF GAWS establish best practices by benchmarking against global animal welfare regulations and domestic animal welfare regulatory requirements, industry standards and codes of practices. Consistent with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Specifications 34700 and World Organisation of Animal Health (OIE) guidelines.

A facility must create, document, and implement an animal welfare management system to achieve certification.

There are three levels of conformance from baseline, assurance to certification, awarded to sites that demonstrate total commitment and compliance. All levels require independent audits to verify compliance and include zero tolerance for animal abuse, mistreatment or neglect.

NSF GAWS eliminates the need for food companies with global supply chains to navigate a range of different local and regional approaches to demonstrate their commitment to animal wellness by having one common, globally applicable solution.

NSF Global Animal Wellness Standards are one of a host of services provided by NSF International experts to help you verify food management systems, mitigate risk and protect your business.

Leadership is needed to protect our food prices and security

By Martin Kennedy, President, NFU Scotland

Martin Kennedy, President, NFU Scotland

Governments and supermarkets need to waken up quick or they will be held responsible for the biggest food inflation rises in generations.

The horrendous situation in Ukraine is deteriorating every day and the ramifications of this war will have long lasting impacts on our ability to produce food.

The cost of production linked to fertiliser, fuel, energy and animal feed prices continue to rocket at a rate that makes business planning incredibly challenging.

Food inflation is deemed to be something the Government and the country is trying to avoid, but unless there is a significant rise in retail prices that recognises that unprecedented cost of production increase, farmers will scale back on production; our fragile food security position will be further undermined, and food inflation will be even greater long term.

UK Government Ministers telling us in March that we

don’t need fertiliser, there’s enough manure and slurry to compensate for the loss of artificial fertiliser shows a real gulf in understanding what is happening on the ground. Farmers will not produce food without seeing a return, for far too long we have been taken for granted and been rewarded poorly for our fantastic efforts to feed the country with high quality food.

From a livestock perspective, my own costs for fertiliser alone have risen from £3.00 per bale of silage to £11.00 per bale. When you add in fuel and plastic wrap, it looks like the only way forward is to reduce numbers.

Multiply that across the country, add in difficulties for some sectors sourcing labour, and the effect on the essential critical mass of Scottish farm output will be devastating. Any reduction in production will have a serious impact on the viability of the Scottish food processing

Next issue out July 2022 Subscription page 123

www.nfus.org.uk

sector which is also under pressure with greater energy costs and labour challenges.

The world has changed beyond belief in a very short space of time – the reasons driving that change are tragic - and food security must now be our number one priority. Climate change and biodiversity must continue to be addressed through future policy change but right now we must have a reality check and focus on what is the most important energy source of all, food.

Leadership and decision making must come now from government and retailers. We must have a supply chain that works fairly across all sectors if farmers and crofters are to continue to produce food rather than scale back production and the economic and social consequences of potential food shortages that would lead to.

We must future-proof our supply chains and be able to feed ourselves.

Farm Security

Watch your backs, fuel storage and your computers!

Fuel theft warning for farmers as prices soar Farmers with diesel and oil storage tanks are being warned to check their security amidst increased fears that thieves could target them.

William Nicholl, client director at rural insurance broker Lycetts, said: “Storage tanks contain thousands of pounds of oil and diesel, so they have an obvious appeal to thieves.

“In recent weeks there have been a number of nationwide incidents of organised gangs siphoning-off fuel. This is no hi-tech, difficult to organise crime – a 1,000 litre tank can be drained within minutes.

“Fertiliser theft is also becoming an increasing problem, and yet another consideration that beleaguered farmers will need to take into account.”

Farmers are a particular target as, due to the nature of their business, they require greater amounts of red and white diesel, and oil. Financially, it benefits them to buy in bulk as prices are usually reduced.

With farms often located in isolated or difficult to reach areas, farmers are further incentivised to store large amounts on-site, which again makes them vulnerable to thieves.

However, there are a number of measures farmers can implement which could reduce the likelihood of them becoming victims.

“Siting tanks out of view from roads is a sensible precaution,” said Nicholl.

“However, many tanks look unattractive and for that reason 24

owners often position them out of sight of the farmhouse.

The problem with this is that they locate them in areas of the property that make it easier for thieves to act unobserved.

“Lighting and CCTV cameras can be effective security measures, but it is important to maintain them and

test them regularly as they may have become inoperative.

“The actual material tanks are made of should be considered before purchase. Steel ones are much more difficult for thieves to drill through – or carry away.

“Owners could also consider installing secure cages around the tanks.

“Daily checks of oil tank gauges should be made.

Technology is also available that sends text messages to multiple mobile phones if there is an unexpected drop in oil levels.

Additionally, there are alarms that continually monitor levels using ultrasonics and sound-off when they suddenly drop.”

Criminal hackers set their “sites” on agricultural businesses

With small to medium size enterprises (SMEs) hacked every 19 seconds[1], Naq Cyber CoFounder and CEO, Nadia Kadhim, warns that poorly protected farming businesses need to take the threat of cyberattacks seriously due to the damaging follow-on effects a compromised business can have on the rest of the supply chain.

“Criminal groups are targeting agricultural businesses more and more due to the flow-on disruption to other industries, such as transport and retail,” says Nadia, a former Child Rights Lawyer and GDPR expert turned cybersecurity start-up founder.

“Quite simplistic but sophisticated methods are being

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

used and agriculture is an easy target due to the use of technology in many different aspects of the business.”

Naq Cyber, and founders Nadia and Chris Clinton, completed the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre’s accelerator programme and soon partnered with Farm491 after being contacted by several

FARM SECURITY farm businesses that had been breached and seeking support.

“Cyber security is about data, but also the system as a whole.

One specific agricultural issue that we’ve been investigating with the help of Farm491 is that there is a large risk for some farms to be targeted by animal rights or vegan activists. We can support farms to take preventative action by scanning specific parts of the web to see if the farm name or location has been mentioned and if there are public events planned.

“Unfortunately, when SMEs are hacked, the financial loss can be between £8,000 to £300,000 alongside the loss of business, reputational damage, and operational disturbance.

In addition, the Information Commissioner’s Office has also started to crack down on data breaches and non-compliance with GDPR with fines ranging from £15,000 - 25,000.”

Naq Cyber has also noticed that during the pandemic there are

more farmers creating websites to support their marketing which can further increase their risk to cyberattacks.

“We take their website details and then scan the ‘dark web’, a hidden collective of internet sites favoured by hackers, for any mention of the farm which then feeds into their system. We use this combined with best practice cyber security to then create a Cyber Security Action Plan which details, step by step, what the company needs to do to protect themselves and why it is important.”

Farm491, which is a vibrant hub based at the Royal Agricultural University, supports entrepreneurs and innovators like Nadia to help grow the UK’s AgriTech ecosystem and promote the adoption of new technologies in the future of food production.

An incubator rather than an accelerator, it supports entrepreneurs to dive deep into their business potential with access to expert talks, research

and development, commercial initiatives, mentoring and networking. Farm491 also offers inspiring workspaces in three different styles from practical workshops to state-of-the-art hot desking.

Nadia says that working with Head of Farm491, Sarah Carr, has been invaluable in expanding into the agricultural industry. “Going from an employed and stable job to becoming an entrepreneur is daunting and Farm491, alongside

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

the other accelerator, helped show us the way. Sarah and the team at Farm491 have been great in putting us in touch with anyone and everyone as this isn’t a target market that we were previously familiar with.”

Naq Cyber provide the tools and support that you need to boost your business’ resilience against the very real threat of a data breach or cyber-attack and take care of the necessary steps to ensure your business is GDPR compliant.

25

organics

OF&G push for policy recognition with launch of organic manifesto The largest certifier of organic land in the UK, OF&G (Organic Farmers & Growers) has published its manifesto ‘Championing organic within agricultural policy’ to highlight the key advantages of the organic approach in response to the unprecedented transitional upheaval in the farming sector.

OF&G chief executive, Roger Kerr, believes that terms like regenerative and agroecological, which lack legally defined, whole-system standards, create increasing confusion.

“We are asking that organic, with its proven ‘real world’ evidence of delivery, is given clear and unambiguous recognition,” says Mr Kerr.

“Policymakers must acknowledge organic’s potential to contribute positively to the challenges we all face, in alleviating the social and environmental impacts of our farming and food system.”

The blueprint sets out the case for why policymakers should consider organic and to help farmers, food businesses and consumers recognise

the multiple benefits organic delivers.

“Time is running out for prudent decisions to be made within Defra,” he says. “A lack of detail and continuing uncertainty is hampering the development of agricultural policy and regulation which, in turn, means farmers are unable to make long term plans.”

“OF&G has been lobbying continuously on behalf of our licensees to secure organic’s inclusion within future farming policy frameworks. Progress feels very slow when, in our opinion, the legal regulatory framework that already underpins organic farming, also offers a firm basis to help deliver on Defra’s stated aims for the provision of public goods in a substantive and cost-effective way.”

Establishing ten core reasons why organic deserves to be acknowledged, the manifesto covers key issues such as globally recognised standards, transformative farming practices, food supply chain, carbon sequestration, biodiversity enhancements and market

opportunities. The manifesto also features a case study based on one of Defra’s Test and Trials, run on the organically managed Cholderton Estate in Wiltshire.

Organic farmer, Henry Edmunds, Cholderton Estate’s trial confirms the positive Natural Capital opportunity, demonstrating that an organic systems-based approach to land management delivers many of the ‘public goods’ so urgently needed.

“The pressure on us all because of the climate and nature crises is enormous, there really is no time to waste and organic has proven its case as an effective solution over many decades,” says Mr Edmunds.

“The mixed farming enterprises we have at Cholderton are working and because we’re organic we’re able to run an economically and ecologically successful farming business producing high quality food alongside and in harmony with the natural landscape.”

Mr Kerr insists that with decades of research supporting organic’s positive outcomes, the publication of the manifesto provides an opportunity to convey a concise and factual account of its advantages that will encourage wider recognition.

Roger Kerr chief executive OFG&G

“We felt it important to strip the manifesto back to the essential truths,” continues Mr Kerr. “OF&G is not suggesting every UK farm embrace organic conversion, but that a range of diverse approaches, including organic, will help protect our environment while delivering the resilience and adaptations necessary for UK farmers to continue to produce food in the face of the increasing climate volatility that we will see in the coming years.

“Everyone has a vested interest in supporting more benign, sustainable practices to safeguard the future.

Environmentally favourable farming practices are undergoing re-invention and rebranding, however organic provides the only clear, current and verified solution.”

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Next issue out July 2022 Subscription page 123

26

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Article

Farm Accidents:

Understanding Your Legal Rights as a Farm Worker According to statistics, around 472,000 people are currently employed within the UK agricultural sector. Whilst working in Farming and Agriculture can be deeply rewarding in many ways, it’s not without risk. Research shows that farming is the second most dangerous industry to work in. Operating heavy specialist equipment and power tools as well as working through challenging weather conditions throughout the year are just some of the factors that increase the risk level.

Between 2020 and 2021, 41 farm related fatalities were recorded in the UK by the Health and Safety Executives (HSE).

Fatal injuries amongst agricultural workers are high, as they find themselves 18 times more likely to sustain an injury than any other worker, according to the HSE. Together with the team at Watermans Solicitors and their wide experience of personal injury cases, we’ve got a guide to help spread awareness of accidents which could occur on a farm, along with the legal rights of employees working in agriculture.

Understanding your rights as an employee Farm workers may be resistant to making a claim or taking time off for their injuries for various reasons, including not wanting to slow down production on their farm. Many people employed within the industry are also selfemployed or are working on a contractor basis. Regardless of your circumstances, you are still entitled to a safe work environment.

Every employer has a duty of care to their employees, to uphold safe working practices.

Most farms will have insurance to protect both the business and their employees, in the event of

an accident. Legally, an employee cannot be dismissed for claiming against their employer.

What every farm employee can expect from their employer Every employer must legally provide the following for their employees: • Safe working environment and methods • Sufficient training • Working equipment Risk assessments should be completed regularly to protect workers. If a fault is flagged by an employee, an employer must assess and resolve the issue in a timely manner.

Four common farm related accidents 1. Trips and Falls This is the most common injury on a farm and can come about from uneven or wet ground, resulting in a trip for both workers and visitors.

Agricultural workers regularly scale barns, balance on silos, and cut down trees – all presenting a

high risk of injury. Working around slurry pits and storage tanks is highly dangerous too and accidents in these areas can be fatal.

2. Machinery The mismanagement of farming tools and heavy machinery such as tractors and forklifts, can lead to serious injuries, especially if the tools are defective. Many accidents happen involving tractors or operating machinery, resulting in trapped limbs in the mechanism.

Noise from tools can also cause hearing damage if workers are not provided with ear protection.

3. Livestock Workers not properly trained to handle animals can increase the risk of accidents. A kick by a bull can be fatal, bites may put someone out of work and herding without experience could result in being trampled on.

4. Exposure to chemicals, asbestos and debris Exposure to debris, asbestos and dust over a long period of time can cause respiratory issues (known as ‘Farmers Lung’) or even cancer.

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Long term exposure to pesticides can also cause rashes, vomiting, and breathing problems. An employer must ensure that proper ventilation is installed and should provide gloves, masks, and other protection for their employees.

Sources: h t t p s : / / w w w. s t a t i s t a . c o m / statistics/315866/agricultureworkforce-in-the-unitedkingdom-uk/ h t t p s : / / w w w. f a r m e r s g u i d e . co.uk/dangerous-occupationsreport-2021-farming-isrevealed-as-the-second-riskiestindustry/#:~:text=A%20 new%20report%20has%20 investigated,the%20second%20most%20dangerous%20 i n d u s t r y. & t e x t = O v e r % 2 0 five%20years%2C%20there%20 were,were%20attributed%20 to%20this%20occupation. h t t p s : / / w w w. h s e . g o v. u k / agriculture/pdf/agriculture-fatalinjuries-2021-summary.pdf 27

Advertorial

Time for a #Rethink

NNZ takes up the challenge to #RETHINK your packaging

Welcome to NNZ UK If you have not come across NNZ already – we are a family owned and run multinational packaging company, established in 1922.

Over the years we have grown into an organisation with more than 250 employees, serving clients from offices in Austria, BeNeLux, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, South Africa, United Kingdom, USA. In the UK we are merging LBK Packaging (who became part of the NNZ family 5 years ago) into the NNZ brand and we have three offices in Glasgow, Liverpool, and Castle Donnington, each with a dedicated team ready to help you. Using our knowledge, expertise, and our significant packaging network, we work with you to develop the right packaging solutions for your business in the fresh produce and industrial markets, making us a one stop shop for all your requirements.

Not only that we aim to do this as sustainably and efficiently as possible. Letting you get on with running your own business in the safe knowledge we have your back where your packaging is concerned.

Meet Siobhan The NNZ UK division is headed up by Siobhan Fotheringham, who joined us in May 2020, just as the 28

first covid lockdown hit! Overnight Siobhan had to flex and support the business with the factory team on site and learning a new business through teams, zoom, Google meet and Skype, whilst making sure NNZ still delivered for all our amazing customers. It has been an interesting time, navigating Brexit, Covid and now plastic taxes!

By using her successful background working in the food and drinks sector in commercial roles from cereal to fish, and from soft drinks to tinned veg, she has managed to support the team and our customers through a really challenging time.

So, What’s Next?

At NNZ, we are committed to bringing you the best innovation and sustainable solutions, and with this in mind we recently attended Logistica, where we met new potential customers, berry farmers and produce suppliers looking for sustainable options and ways to reduce their plastic tax liability.

We also met with current suppliers to discuss the challenges arising from the war in Ukraine and to find options to mitigate the challenges we are all facing, including price increases, planning for raw materials, ensuring we supply sustainable solutions. The NNZ group welcomed exciting new suppliers on board too meaning we have an even more

Siobhan Fotheringham

extensive offer to support your business. Exciting times are ahead, so watch this space. #RETHINK With all the new options in our portfolio and as this year we are celebrating our 100-year anniversary and we are aiming to make it an extra special year for our teams and our customers.To celebrate this, we are launching #RETHINK – a free audit of all your packaging – to see how we can offer you more sustainable, impactful, dependable, and

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

affordable packaging whilst balancing food shelf life, protection of your products, OTR levels (oxygen transmission rates) and load bearing for industrial products.

So why not give Craig or Gordon a call in our Glasgow office and see how we can help you with making the right choices for your business and our planet – let us help you #rethink your packaging!

Tel : 0141 956 1992 www.nnzuk.co.uk

Great to see you back!

Welcome to our 2022 Royal Highland Show Preview

It is so good to be able to publish this

Preview of our great Royal Highland Show for 2022 after a break of two

years, the last one appearing back in 2019.

Along with Scotsheep, Scottish

Game Fair and Open Farm Sunday,

we have certainly got a few events covered in this issue.

Just getting back out there and

actually meeting people will be a

fantastic release for us all, and I

cannot wait to be visiting all the

stands and attractions at this years’ events throughout the summer.

The Royal Highland Show is of

course our biggest farming event of

the year, and I would like to wish everyone who a helped to organise

it all, my very best wishes for the successful return to our lives.

To those exhibiting at the show,

all I can say is, “Good luck, enjoy it,

and may this be a very profitable few days for you all”.

The Royal Highland Show has

been brought back home!

Bill Gray RHASS Chairman

As my final few months as Chairman of RHASS approach, I am struck by the excitement and anticipation that the upcoming Royal Highland Show, RHS 200, is generating.

The recent ‘Royal Highland Show Illuminated’ project that we have taken to our 8 regions re-connecting with our members and rural communities, while at the same time bringing the Show back to the fore - has been a real highlight.

The history and the heritage of the Show was brought to life in vivid detail and gave us a real sense of looking back and celebrating the legacy of the first Show, founded in 1822 by the gentlemen of the Highland Society of Edinburgh as it was then. What would they think if they were able to time travel to today and see what a mighty oak their little acorn has grown into?

To be able to celebrate the 200th anniversary of that first Show is really special – not just for us as directors, staff and members of the Society but also for the wider communities that have missed the opportunity to get out and about and meet one other.

As I said often during our tour of Scotland, it is for those people who have a connection to the Society, very often spanning many generations, that we hold this magnificent event every year (well almost!), and I’m sure, like me, you can’t wait until the 23rd of June.

The absolute highlight of this year’s Show will be the chance to show off our new pavilion to our members and guests. It is a wonderful building and fitting to be at the heart of our showground at Ingliston. Let’s meet there, celebrate and be proud to be a part of this wonderful event.

I’ll see you there!

Bill Gray RHASS Chairman.

Slàinte.

Athole Murray Fleming Publisher/Editor

Farming Scotland Magazine

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

29

Royal Highland Show 2022

Celebrating 200 years of the Royal Highland Show 2022 is a significant milestone in the Royal Highland Show’s history.

With celebrations planned to mark the 200th anniversary since the very first Show was held way back in 1822, this year Scotland’s biggest and best outdoor event is truly back with a bang!

After two years without a full Show, visitors, competitors, and exhibitors will be chomping at the bit to get back in the showground this June. And RHASS can’t wait to welcome them through the gates to join us for a Show to remember!

What’s new in the competition rings The sights and sounds of the bustling show rings will be a welcome experience for competitors and visitors this year – with many having not experienced them for three years.

This year, two new sheep classes for Dutch Spotted and Valais Blacknose will feature, as well as two new equestrian classes, Maxi Cob of the Year

Championship and Mountain & Moorland Junior 122cm Working Hunter Pony of the Year. This is in addition to a number of classes being upgraded to Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) qualifier status.

To celebrate the bicentenary, a range of special commemorative rosettes, prize cards, sashes and medals will be awarded this year – including medals with gold finishing, a change from the usual bronze version awarded in other years. The magnificent Fletcher McDiarmid Trophy, an incredibly ornate and historic award, will also return this year to be presented to the Overall Beef Champion.

Royal Highland Show TV & app The Royal Highland Show will take to the small screen to livestream this year’s 200th anniversary event across the globe.

In what has been described as a ‘game changer’ for the Royal Highland Show, organisers have successfully secured £200,000

Kissing champion cow

of funding from the Scottish Government to drive this groundbreaking initiative. The funding will be administered by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, on behalf of the Scottish Government.

The free-to-view RHS TV will see a dynamic mix of live and pre-recorded content broadcast throughout the four days, featuring the perfect balance of livestock judging, equestrian

Spectators at the showjumping

30

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

classes, culture, interviews, food & drink and of course, the grand parade. Presenting RHS TV in the mornings will be Dougie Vipond, with Sarah Mack taking the reins in the afternoons.

Not only beamed across the globe, RHS TV will also be transmitted across the showground on giant screens throughout the four days. The content captured will be available to watch back on the Royal Highland Show YouTube channel.

The exciting announcement follows on from the success of the Royal Highland Showcase in 2021, which saw a total audience of 345,701 viewers watch the action online from across 97 countries.

Bill Gray, Chairman of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS), organisers of the Royal Highland Show, said: “This is a hugely exciting announcement which will allow us to bring the best of food, farming, and rural Scotland to audiences across the globe. The value the Show brings to the economy and also to Scotland the brand is reflected in the level of support we have received from the Scottish Government, for which we are very grateful.”

The announcement is just one of many exciting new initiatives

Royal Highland Show 2022 planned to make the 2022 Show, which marks 200 years since the first Show took place, a spectacular event.

Showcasing Scotland’s food & drink This year sees some exciting developments for food and drink at the Show.

The food hall experience has been completely re-designed ‘Scotland’s Larder’ as it’s now known, will offer an unrivalled showcase for the very best produce from Scotland and around the UK. There is a focus on Scottish produce of course, with over 75% of exhibitors in Scotland’s Larder based in Scotland.

This new area has been designed to completely enhance the food and drink experience at the Show, with congestion eased and more opportunities to stop and savour the variety of tastes on offer.

The winners of the Scottish Championships for Dairy, Bread and Honey products will also be announced and celebrated at the Show. Expect to see lovely loaves, beautiful butter, and heavenly honey on display, with well-known names and artisanal producers alike competing for the most prestigious produce awards in Scotland.

Entertainment like never before As if the Royal Highland Show wasn’t enough to entertain - The Big Top is coming to Ingliston and visitors this year will have the chance to extend their stay to attend two concerts on the

evenings of the Thursday and Saturday.

Scottish-Irish alt-rock outfit Snow Patrol are no strangers to sell-out crowds across Scotland, and their roaring singalong classics will echo around The Big Top on Thursday 23rd June 2022.

The concerts will take place outwith the main showground on the west side, well away from all areas where livestock and horses are stabled penned or stalled.

The Royal Highland Show site will be fully secured and fenced, with dedicated security in place.

Animal welfare remains RHASS’ top priority and staff and directors, who understand the needs of Show livestock and their handlers, have been fully engaged in the process.

Of course, there will also be the usual entertainment offerings across the Royal Highland Show itself – expect everything from pipe bands and ceilidhs to choirs and pop music!

Brand-new Kids Zone Another exciting new feature for 2022 is the introduction of a dedicated Kids Zone in the Countryside Area This interactive experience is sure to delight kids and parents alike and will feature activities like a nature trail, featuring outdoor play equipment and John Deere mini tractors!

Children will be able to take part in activities, including looking at the soil with microscopes to discover bugs and beasties, and find out more about the history of

Valais Blacknose will be shown for the first time this year

the Royal Highland Show in a fun, interactive way.

Getting there As usual, there is a comprehensive travel plan in place to ensure visitors can get to and from the Show as efficiently as possible.

Hopping on public transport remains the easiest and most sustainable option for getting to the Showground. Travel by tram, train, or get dropped off at the gates by the bus.

If visitors do want to take the car, booking your parking tickets in advance is required – there will be no parking tickets available on the day!

Be sure to visit the Royal Highland Show website to view the full public transport travel plan.

Flock to the Show To celebrate the return of Golden Shears to The Royal Highland Show in 2023, RHASS is developing a large-scale public art event across the country, titled ‘Flock to the Show’.

The event will feature more

Calling All Artists …

If you or someone you know would be interested in submitting a design for the trail, please email the sponsorship team (sponsorship@ rhass.org.uk) including your name, location, artistic style and some examples of your work.

Competitors will be eager to get back in the rings this year

32

than 35 specially designed sheep sculptures that will form a free trail of discovery for local people and visitors of all ages to explore, enjoy and learn about Scotland’s long history of sheep production.

Each sculpture will be sponsored by local businesses, community groups and education organisations.

They will also be decorated by local artists and communities – all designed to celebrate the return of the Golden Shears, the international sheep shearing championships.

The sculptures will be displayed in locations across the UK, creating a trail highlighting hidden gems and engaging with communities from Selkirk to Kirkwall, Harris to St Andrews.

The flock shall return to the Royal Highland Centre during the Golden Shears, which will be the only time the public will see the entire flock together in one place.

Following Golden Shears our flock will be auctioned at a special event to raise funds that will support the Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland and the work we and our partners deliver across the country.

The flock will then scatter and find new homes across the world, ensuring a fitting legacy for the Golden Shears.

Join us at #RHS200 and see the first set come to life in the showground, where our first artists will decorate the sculptures live.

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Royal Highland Show 2022

The A-Z of the Royal Highland Show 2022

A – Agricultural equipment – See the fantastic display of farm machinery and take the opportunity to visit the stands, compare brands and find out about the latest developments.

B – Bicentennial – This year marks 200 years since the very first Highland Show was held – join us to celebrate this historic event!

C – Countryside – The Countryside Area is a mustsee part of the Show. Set by its own loch, it’s home to so many demonstrations, including birds of prey, sheepdog and ferret displays.

34

D – Dairy – The Scottish Ice Cream, Cheese and Butter Championships will be taking place once again at the Show.

We are in for a treat!

E – Equestrian – The Show always welcomes an impressive range of horse breeds, from the adorable Shetland Pony to the majestic Clydesdale.

F – Food – The Show is famed for its variety of food and drink. Wander through and enjoy the smells, tastes and sights of the best that Scottish food and drink has to offer.

G – Grand Parade – Enjoy a spectacular display of the

The Fletcher McDiarmid trophy

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Royal Highland Show 2022 country’s best livestock as a parade of prize-winning cattle make their way across the Main Ring.

H – Highland Cattle – Witness one of Scotland’s most iconic animals, the gorgeous Highland Coo, up close and in the flesh!

I – Innovation – the latest labour, time and money-saving gadgets for rural businesses can be seen in the RHASS Technical innovation Awards, which are presented at the Show.

J – Judges – The Show attracts some of the top judges in the UK, who come from all over, from Orkney to Cornwall and as far as Australia to judge livestock, food and drink and much more.

K – Kids – yes, the name for young goats!

L – Logs – Make sure to visit the Forestry Arena, which is home to the Scottish Pole Climbing Championships along with action-packed

forestry and wood carving demonstrations.

M – Music – the Show caters for all musical tastes, you could be dancing to ABBA one minute, a ceilidh the next, before enjoying a traditional Scottish pipe band later on!

N – New – One of the Show’s highlights is the bountiful shopping opportunities on offer, and as always you will be spoiled for choice with an exceptional array of country fare on display on Avenue 13.

O – Online – Get all the latest up-to-date information on the Show on the website and check out Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.

P – Presidential Initiative – The 2022 Show will celebrate the Highlands, showcasing the unique heritage and culture of the region.

Q - Queen Bee – Find out all you need to know about honey and the importance of bees in the Show’s Honey Marquee by the

West Entrance, and don’t miss the prize giving at the Honey Championships!

R – RHET – The Royal Highland Education Trust Discovery Centre is just the place for curious young minds eager to learn more about the countryside and where their food comes from.

S – Scotland – The Show puts the very best of Scotland on display – from prize livestock and traditional crafts to artisan food and drink.

T – Trials – Trial bikers in the Forestry Arena show their courage and skills with amazing stunts, illustrating why biking in the forests of Scotland is increasingly popular.

U – Unwind – The Show is the perfect place to catch up with friends, relax and enjoy the best that Scotland’s countryside has to offer.

V – Variety – There’s such a variety of things to see and do –

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

cattle and sheep, farriery at The Forge, show jumping, heavy horse turnouts, ceilidh bands, choirs, shopping, artisanal food and drink – there’s SO much to see and do.

W – Wool – Always a visitor highlight, the MacRobert Theatre provides some of the fastest action of the Show at the Sheep Shearing Competitions.

X – Xcitement – There’s plenty of excitement at the Show – make sure you get your programme so you don’t miss out on a single thing!

Y – Youth – The Show enthusiastically supports its young people, with many young handler classes featuring on the competition schedules across the board.

Z – Zones – To make the most of your visit we want to ensure you can get around the Showground easily. Watch out for the coloured zones on your map to help guide you around the Showground!

35

Royal Highland Show 2022

Judges announced for 2022 Royal Highland Show The judges at the Royal Highland Show are tasked with placing the country’s top cattle, sheep, horses, poultry and goats. They come from far and wide, from local names to those travelling from as far afield as Australia, to judge Scotland’s biggest and best display of livestock.

Overall Young Handler Following the inaugural year of the Dalchirla Trophy for Overall Young Handler in 2019, the honour has fallen to renowned Limousin breeders and regular Show-goers Sarah Jane Jessop and Dougie McBeath to place the champion Young Handler The choice of judges rotates around the different sections each year, with Sarah

36

Cattle judging at the Show

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Royal Highland Show 2022 and Dougie chosen by the Chief Stewards of the Beef Section.

Beef Section Esmor Evans, owner of the famous Maerdy herd from Flintshire in Wales, will have the privileged task of placing the Overall Beef Interbreed and Teams, while James Playfair-Hannay, who commentates on Cattle and the Grand Parade at the Show, will be judging the Beef Shorthorn.

Another successful Show competitor judging for 2022 is Tracey Nicol, who will be placing the Beef Young Handler.

Tracey works alongside husband Davie running their prizewinning Charolais herd at Balthayock for Major Walter and took Overall Beef Champion in 2019 with heifer Balthayock Nessie.

Renowned breeder Alistair Cormack will be judging the Aberdeen Angus section this year.

Alistair won at the Royal Highland in 2017 during the Aberdeen Angus World Forum out of 143 cattle. He

took three bulls and a heifer to the October Bull Sales in 1989 - the heifer was Female Champion, the bulls were Senior, Intermediate and Junior Champions and went on to be Overall Champion and Reserve - a record that still stands today.

Another well-known face in the Beef Section is Wilson Peters, judging Commercial Cattle. Farm Manager at Monzie Estate in Crieff, Wilson is very well known in the showing and sale scene winning Scottish National Fatstock Champion on five occasions and commanding some of the best prices.

Glyn Lucas, an auctioneer at Harrison and Hetherington in Carlisle, is taking charge of the Any Other Breed class after a strong inaugural year in 2019.

The prize for Dairy Calf and Showmanship will for 2022 be awarded by Michael Yates of Castle Douglas, part of the wellknown Yates family who run Eastford and Logan Holsteins and enjoyed their own successes at the Show, winning the Holstein section in 2006 and 2013. Michael is currently the only person to have won Champion Handler at the All Breeds All Britain Calf Show three times.

Dairy Section The Dairy Section will see the return of the Queens Cup this year, being awarded by Jimmy Hodge of Eyemouth, Berwickshire for the Overall Dairy champion. Jimmy ran the 550-strong Lemington Holstein herd, which was synonymous with showing until its dispersal in 2007.

Sheep Section The Sheep Section is in great hands this year, as former RHASS Chairman and Chief Steward of Sheep, Clark Stewart will be placing the Overall Interbreed. Clark, of Cupar, Fife, is a prominent Pedigree Border Leicester, Suffolk and Texel breeder.

The Texel class will be judged

by Robert Wilson of Turiff, Aberdeenshire, who has won the Suffolk section 5 times and Texels 2 times at the Highland Show.

William Dunlop, the renowned blackface breeder running 1600 breeding ewes at Elmscleugh in East Lothian, will be casting his expert eye over the Sheep Pairs and Young Handler. Another former RHASS Chairman, John Dykes of West Linton, Peeblesshire, will be utilising his 60 years of breeding experience judging the Bluefaced Leicester Traditional Type.

Alan Kennedy of Parkgate, Dumfries will be overseeing the Charollais – Alan has won 10 interbreed championships in a row at the Dumfires Show, and also competed to a high level in sheep shearing at the Royal Highland, winning Junior, Intermediate and Senior competitions.

Royal Highland Show 2022 Heavy Horse Section In the Heavy Horse Section, there are two judges travelling all the way from Australia this year. Colin Brown, who runs McMurchie Clydesdale Stud in New South Wales alongside his wife Karen, who will be judging Clydesdale Males, while Max Marriott, of Aarunga Stud in Victoria will be placing the Clydesdale Females.

Max has been involved with the breed for over 50 years, and also judged the Heavy Horse Turnouts at the Show in 2015.

Marguerite Osborne, 3rd generation breeder of the ‘na Dailach’ stud in Kirriemuir, Angus will be taking the reins for the Sanderson Trophy. She is well known and respected judge, being former president of Highland Pony Society and secretary of Clydesdale Horse Society. Her daughter Virginia judged Ridden Clydesdales at Showcase in 2021 Anne Mitchell will be casting her experienced eye over the Highland Pony Females.

38

Sheep judging at the Show

Her Dunedin Stud in Denny, Stirlingshire has produced supreme champions at Olympia, HOYS, Royal International, and the Royal Highland Show.

Light Horse Section In the Light Horse Section, the prestigious St Johns Wells Trophy will be awarded this year

by Sylvia Ormiston MVO of Ballater, Aberdeenshire, while she is also judging Working Native Pony in Harness. Sylvia enjoys the very esteemed responsibility of running the Balmoral Highland Pony stud for Her Majesty the Queen. Sylvia, alongside husband Dochy, were made members of the Royal Victorian Order by the Queen in 2020.

Lucinda Russell OBE will be judging the Retraining of Racehorse class this year.

Lucinda runs a successful racing yard in Kinross, famously training One for Arthur who won the 2017 Aintree Grand National.

She trains with her partner Peter Scudamore MBE, an 8-time champion jockey.

Nigel Hollings will judge the HOYS Supreme In Hand Championship. Nigel has ridden and produced many champions in the show ring from ponies to heavyweight hunters, including the Riding Horse of the Year Fair Breeze, (also HOYS Supreme Showing Champion) and Hack of the Year Royal Angel, plus numerous other HOYS Pony Champions.

The HOYS Part Bred Ridden Section will be judged jointly by partners Chris & David Bartrum-

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Lawton, with Chris judging conformation and David judging performance.

Sandy Anderson will be judging the Welsh Ponies (Section B). Chairman and owner of Grandstand Media, which runs the Horse of the Year Show, Sandy is also the owner of the successful Thistledown Stud, which bred 21 ponies that qualified for the 2021 HOYS. Goat Section Dairy Goats, Kids, Milking & Boer Goats will be judged this year by Margaret Hardman, from Sheffield, Yorkshire. Margaret is an experienced and decorated competitor, and also the Vice Chair of the British Goat Society committee.

RHASS Chief Executive Alan Laidlaw commented: “We are very much looking forward to welcoming back some familiar faces to the judging line up this year, with many of our judges returning after being asked to initially judge at the cancelled 2020 Royal Highland Show.

“Our esteemed roster of judges includes some of the best, brightest and most respected professionals that the livestock world has to offer, and I can’t wait to see them and our competitors in action in the show rings this June.”

Royal Highland Show 2022

Horses at the Highland Show

The Royal Highland Show is the largest equestrian event in Scotland, with almost 2000 horses and their riders travelling from across the country to compete.

This year in the equestrian rings, there are new classes and more HOYS Qualifiers than ever before. Four existing equestrian classes have been upgraded to HOYS Qualifiers for 2022, with two new classes, Maxi Cob of the Year Championship and Mountain & Moorland Junior 122cm Working Hunter Pony of the Year, joining the schedule for the first time.

The other classes upgraded to HOYS Qualifiers are: Topham Barnes Riding Horse of the Year; The Harrod & Coles Family Cob of the Year; British Show Pony Society Children’s Riding Pony of the Year; and National Pony Society/Baileys Horse Feeds Mountain & Moorland Ridden New Forest Pony of the Year – this class returns to the Show for the first time since 2016.

As the most prestigious equestrian event in Scotland, the Show attracts a great number of

The Heavy Horse Turnouts are some of the most popular sights to see

sponsors for Show Jumping, including Andrew Black – a supporter of the Show for over 30 years.

Commenting on the Show, Chief Steward for Show Jumping Anne Logan said: “I know that everyone cannot wait

to get back in the rings this year and experience the full Royal Highland Show atmosphere for the first time in three years.

And with new classes and more HOYS Qualifiers up for grabs, this year promises to be full of exciting twists and turns.

“It is truly inspiring to witness the skill and dedication that equestrian competitors bring to the competition at the Royal Highland Show every year, and I for one can’t wait to see what is Scotland’s premier equine event come to life once again.”

Encouraging innovation

Designed to recognise design and innovation across machinery and equipment for use in the agri and rural sectors, the RHASS Technical Innovation Awards showcase inventions and innovations that demonstrate a positive impact on agriculture, horticulture, equestrian, forestry, renewable energy and estate activities.

40

The oldest RHASS award, having been in place since the formation of the Society in 1784, the Technical Innovation awards were formerly known as the ‘New Implements Award’. This year is an especially significant milestone in the history of the awards, as it marks the 200th anniversary of the Royal Highland Show.

Entries for the awards can come under the categories of machines, appliances, technical components or important ancillary equipment and should be commercially available or prototypes in development.

Judging is already well underway and winners will be presented with their awards

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

during the Royal Highland Show in June, with spaces reserved at the Show for the winners from 2020, 2021 and 2022 to exhibit their winning designs. The Show is a unique shop window for winners to take advantage of, with nearly 200,000 visitors expected over the four days.

Royal Highland Show 2022

(L-R) Jack Smales – Head of Sales at Calibrate, Richard Vernon – Director of Hillhouse Quarry and sponsor of the Technical Innovation Awards, Susie McDonald – Director of Calibrate

Calibrate’s Heatpump Heat Chill 6MW System

Last year, one Gold, six Silver and five Certificates of Commendations were awarded. The Gold award was presented to previous Silver award winners Calibrate Inc. Ltd, for their Heatpump Heat/Chill 6MW System.

RHASS Chief Steward of Technical Innovation, Christopher Shepherd said: “Despite the challenges of the last couple of years, we have continued to see businesses

and products that are leading the way in developing our rural industries.”

Susie McDonald, Managing Director of 2021 Gold award winners Calibrate Inc. Ltd commented: “The entering process allowed us to take a step back and reflect on our journey from where we started in 2012 to where we are now, 9 years later,

exhibit fantastic levels of innovation, with a huge number of high-quality entries to the Technical Innovation Awards.

“The Awards are a highly influential industry accolade, offering a unique and valuable marketing advantage to winners.

This year even more so, as the Royal Highland Show celebrates its 200th anniversary. I look forward to seeing the designs

HIDROMEK HMK 230LC

MANY THANKS TO ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION SCOTLAND FOR THE PURCHASE OF THEIR HIDROMEK HMK 230LC FULL SPEC

HIDROMEK 62SS

THIS UNIQUE MACHINE CAN BE USED IN MANY APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE FROM STOCK

42

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

and recognise the work that all our team do and the amount they put into this business.

“This works at all levels, from the office to our engineers on-site, everyone works towards the goal to be at the forefront of our industry. Winning the Gold award reflects all that hard work, showing others within our industry that we are true pioneers.”

CANYCOM S25A

CONVERTED WITH PROTECH P22 CHAPPER 300KG HAMMER WEIGHT PLUS ROCK SPIKE

HIDROMEK HMK 102B

MANY THANKS TO KEVIN CROSS CIVILS ON THE PURCHASE OF THEIR HIDROMEK HMK 102B SUPRA

Royal Highland Show 2022

The Show Must Go On!

By Wendy Barrie

After two years of no Royal Highland (nor anything else for that matter) we are all raring to return: to see the majestic Clydesdales parading in the ring and the Shetland ponies as cute as can be; to inspect the lines of cattle, sheep and goats, preened to perfection and ready for rosettes, and check out the amazing range of crafts and skills from forging to shearing, woodturning and log sculpture.

The list is endless.

Fundamental to Scotland’s rural landscape and farming skills is food production: knowledge to be shared and produce to be displayed, tasted

and celebrated. Whilst farmers are yearning to see each other and the great catch-up begins, The Royal Highland has also always been a place for urban dwellers, to see animals closeup and discover the range of flavours in Scotland’s fine larder.

Regulars will no doubt notice a few changes but the wonderful spectacles we know and love will all be there – just sometimes a wee bit re-organised. The Food & Drink Hall for example will no longer be home to the Cookery Theatre. To enable a more spacious layout for the producer stands, the theatre, now called The Food for Thought Cookery

& Conference Theatre will be housed in a generous marquee adjacent to the Food Hall. In

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

the past, the hall could become quite congested so this allows more air circulation within, plus

43

Royal Highland Show 2022

Lady Claire Macdonald OBE Craig Wilson

a light and airy venue for the theatre. Cookery demonstrations will be interspersed from time to time with discussions and conversations to add an additional dimension to the schedule.

This year the President’s Initiative is the Highlands & Islands so expect some wellknown names from the northern climes to join us on stage. We

44

are thrilled to welcome back Lady Claire Macdonald OBE, the doyenne of Scottish cuisine and our foremost Ambassador, celebrating fifty years at Kinloch Lodge and newly awarded the Master Chefs of Great Britain Chairman’s Special Industry Award along with her husband Godfrey, Lord Macdonald.

Claire undoubtedly put Skye on the culinary map and Kinloch

is much loved the world over. A staunch supporter of meat and game, I wouldn’t be surprised if they featured in her presentation.

Ghillie Basan from deep in the heart of the Highlands features in the Food for Thought conversations, themed around her latest book, appropriately named A Taste of the Highlands where she recounts tales from Highland producers and farmers, distillers and brewers alongside traditional and contemporary

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

recipes using the produce. Ghillie has recently been appointed one of Scotland’s Food Tourism Ambassadors so she will be sharing with us her thoughts and experiences.

I have been known to say that the produce is the star and none more so than Native Shetland Lamb, making an appearance on stage as part of the Taste of Shetland presentation. A delicious meat, it is pure bred, ethically reared (organically

Royal Highland Show 2022 in the case of Uradale Farm) and fed only the best herbage, resulting in a fine island terroir to be celebrated and appreciated.

From elsewhere across Scotland we shall be welcoming the fabulous Craig Wilson, The Kilted Chef, of Udny Green’s Eat on The Green. A loyal supporter of our Cookery Theatre for many years, his energy and style are always a crowd-puller and his dishes celebrate local Aberdeenshire cuisine – usually with an original Craig twist!

Craig is also a Scottish Food Tourism Ambassador, multiaward winner and a saviour for locals during lockdown when he was preparing meals-to-go, a pillar of the community and, as always, helping local charities.

Neil Forbes of Café St Honore in Edinburgh is another long-standing supporter of the Theatre making a very welcome return. A Slow Food Cooks Alliance Member, Neil has long supported Slow Food’s

principles, sourcing from local producers and proclaiming them on his menus. His use of organic produce has also earned him Scotland’s first Soil Association Organic Restaurant Award. He too provided essential food and victuals, to Edinburghers during lockdown when supermarket shelves were empty and meals were hard to find. Where would we be without our chefs?

Representing Perth, we are delighted to introduce Praveen Kumar of the award-winning Tabla Restaurant & CookSchool to the stage. Praveen is an engaging raconteur, effortlessly blending the best Scottish produce with his own family grown spices, imported exclusively from India. His vegetables are largely sourced from his own market garden in Perthshire and local meat and seafood are well represented on his menus. A seasoned presenter, Praveen also runs a cook school, along with ready meals for those

who would rather he did the work!

The Royal Highland Show is also home to some national competitions: The Scottish Dairy Championships, Scottish Bread Championship, Honey and Handicrafts, all of which have wonderful displays at the Show. The Scottish Dairy Championships, with sponsorship from Lactalis McLelland, encompass cheeses and yoghurts, ice creams and butter. This hugely popular competition keeps a team of expert judges busy all day. From generously proportioned blocks to dainty roundels, the cheeses of Scotland are well represented, as are all shapes and flavours of ice cream as the number of freezers required testifies.

Connoisseurs are also lined up to judge the Scottish Bread Championship, the newest of the competitions, co-founded in 2017 by Andrew Whitley and myself and this year with

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

welcome sponsorship from The Edinburgh Baker’s Trust.

The Trades in Edinburgh have been undergoing a renaissance recently during which time the Incorporation of Baxters (the original name for bakers) formed a separate Charitable Trust, The Edinburgh Baker’s Trust, whose purpose is the advancement of baking education, arts, heritage, culture and science. Its core activity is to award small grants to bakers who fulfil the Trust’s ideals and several small business and charities have benefitted to date. By supporting the Scottish Bread Championship, the Trust hopes to raise their profile and spread the word that they are there to support fellow bakers. https:// www.edinburghbakerstrust.org. uk As the excitement mounts and the frequency of meetings increases, the countdown is definitely underway for a magnificent Royal Highland Show – see you there!

45

Royal Highland Show 2022

So you want to see some sheep?

Arguably one of the best places to do so is at the Royal Highland Show. Without having to travel across the width and breath of the British Isles and its many contrasting features, you can easily see the fantastic variety and quality of sheep which attend the show on a yearly basis. Without knowing anything about sheep, it is very easy to distinguish the different sizes, shapes and colours which can be attributed to the many different farming systems found today. The structure of the Scottish and UK sheep industry is formed upon stratified breeding structures which relate to altitude and other unique geographical features. There are approximately 90 different sheep breeds and crosses, many of which attend the show. You will find your hill breeds such

as the Scottish Blackface or Cheviot which are hardy enough and are excellent mothers with thick coats to withstand harsh conditions. Upland breeds which tend to be more prolific than hill breeds and are bred to the Bluefaced or Border Leicester to produce a Mule lamb and finally lowland breeds such as the Texel, Suffolk, Charollais or Beltex.

What you should know is that numerous skills and traditions have been handed down the generations to display what will stand before you. Many a skilled stockman (or woman) has spent a whole lifetime breeding a prestigious Royal Highland Show sheep Champion and that certainly is no easy feat!

It is also no secret that the vast majority of sheep in the UK are extensively grazed on grass

Young Handler class at the Show

which grows on little more than sunshine, rain and soil nutrients.

In doing so, grassland soils sequester carbon which helps to combat global warming. Scotch lamb is available all year round and is packed full of protein, vitamins and minerals such as zinc, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin B12 and vitamin D to name just a few. What is even better, lamb is such a versatile and naturally sustainable meat which can be easily incorporated to form part of a healthy balanced diet.

Whilst the majority of sheep production today is focussed on meat production, there are still many breeds today which concentrate on wool.

Make sure you don’t miss out on the opportunity to see the fantastic array of fleeces on show in the NSA (National Sheep Association) Scotland

marquee which houses the Royal Highland Show fleece competition. Wool is easily the most versatile fabric found in existence. With breathable, biodegradable, renewable, elastic, UV, fire and odour resistant qualities, it is hard to find a trans-seasonal alternative to do as good a job!

On that note, it is hard to mention sheep or wool without urging visitors towards the shearing competition which showcases the tremendous skill, speed and accuracy which are all combined to create a fascinating marvel to watch – make sure you do not miss out!

Throughout all aspects of the sheep industry you will find an astonishing attention to detail, coupled with high animal welfare standards and passion which is exemplified 24 hours, 365 days a year.

RHET at the Royal Highland Show 2022

To help celebrate the 200th show this year, RHET is producing the ‘Great Big A-Z of Food and Farming’ story.

We will launch a page a day throughout June, with the whole digital book being released on the 26th of June. This story will 46

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

cover a wide range of topics in a user-friendly way and be linked to various activities to get involved with.

RHET will also be offering digital engagement via its Showtime Discovery Trail. The trail will take young visitors

Royal Highland Show 2022 around several points on the showground to learn more about food and farming.

The RHET Discovery Centre, at the Royal Highland Show, will host the Grand Finale for Year of Beef. We will be creating several interactive experiences for families and school pupils around beef farming.

These experiences will include learning the importance of using a weigh crush, auctioning some pupils through the ring, and allowing everyone to create their own rosette or badge. We will also demonstrate the importance of grass, the nutritional value of beef, and condition scoring cows.

In addition, we have launched two competitions in the run-up to the Royal Highland Show.

Our acrostic poem invites pupils to compose a short poem using the title Scottish

Farmer. The Scottish Farmer has sponsored this, and winning entries will be published in their magazine in the weeks before the show.

Pupils have also been invited to design their own rosette, which will be professionally made and presented to the Champion Beef cattle at the show. This competition has been sponsored

by Johnston Carmichael and Murray of Redden.

The winners of both competitions will have the opportunity to take their class on a fully-funded RHET farm visit.

Also at the show this year we will have some storytelling sessions, hands on activities for younger visitors to keep them occupied as well as displays from our RHET Network. Each of the RHET areas will have a display, showcasing their local work and spotlighting some of their volunteers. If you already help us with visits and talks,

Children holding the RHET display board

please make sure you pop in for a refreshments and if you don’t volunteer with us, why not come and find out what’s involved and meet some folk who can tell you how it all works!

The Journey of Food: Seeds & Grains Last year, RHET celebrated all things related to the beef industry with its Year of Beef.

For the 2022-2023 academic year, we will be mixing things up with a new focus on all things related to seeds and grains.

The Journey of Food: Seeds & Grains will be launching at this years Highland Show and will create materials for all levels about wheat, barley, oats, oilseed rape, and combinable crops such as linseed, beans, and rye.

For schools, these will range from downloadable worksheets for the official Maths Week launch, farmhouse breakfast and Christmas activities, soils & sustainability, the history of cereals, and much more!

The Scottish Dairy scene at Royal Highland It is hard to imagine that the last time we all gathered around the dairy judging ring at the Royal Highland show was in 2019. After two years without a full show, visitors and exhibitors will be doing all they can to make this year, the 200th anniversary Royal Highland Show the best one yet.

In 2019, the Royal Highland Show attracted nearly 200,000 people and boasted more than 5,000 animals – including 2,128 sheep, 2,200 horses and 1,101 beef and dairy cattle – competing for over 280 trophies and £170,000 in prize money.

In Scotland there are now only 832 dairy herds, a decline of 195 48

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

over the last 10 years, and therefore it is more important than ever that dairy has a strong presence at the show this year, to ensure it retains its prominent position in the shop window of Scottish agriculture.

And what better platform to do this but in the cattle judging area.

The Dairy Cattle Judging Section will see the return of the Queens Cup this year, being awarded by Jimmy Hodge of Eyemouth, Berwickshire for the Overall Dairy champion. Jimmy ran the 550-strong Lemington Holstein herd, which was synonymous with showing until its dispersal in 2007.

Glyn Lucas, an auctioneer

Royal Highland Show 2022 at Harrison and Hetherington in Carlisle, is taking charge of the Any Other Breed class after a strong inaugural year in 2019.

The prize for Dairy Calf and Showmanship will for 2022 be awarded by Michael Yates of Castle Douglas, part of the wellknown Yates family who run Eastford and Logan Holsteins and enjoyed their own successes at the Show, winning the Holstein section in 2006 and 2013. Michael is currently the only person to have won Champion Handler at the All Breeds All Britain Calf Show three times.

It will be a welcome site to view the packed judging rings on the Friday of the show as months of preparation come to a crescendo as winners are announced and awards are handed out.

But of course the influence and presence of the dairy sector does not begin and end in the judging ring.

The food hall and kiosks dotted around the show ground

have traditionally offered the best of Scotland’s dairy produce. From milk shakes to cheese, yoghurt, ice cream, butter, and everything in between. Over a billion pounds is spent on dairy products in Scotland per annum, and the show offers some of the best traditional products as well as exciting new product development for all to enjoy.

The Scottish Dairy Championships make a welcome return and are contested by some of the finest yoghurt, butter, ice cream and cheese producers in the country. This is a fantastic opportunity for all size of dairy business to put their products on display and compete for the coveted prizes.

Stakeholders, suppliers, and support organisations to the dairy industry will also welcome the show with open arms. The opportunity to have face to face interaction with farmers to promote innovation new product development and new thinking

Dairy cows

is key. And with the challenges agriculture faces going forward, presenting the sector in a positive light to the general public and consumer is essential And finally a special mention must go to Bill Gray the Chair of RHASS, the board of directors and the management team, who not only had the massive challenge of mothballing the event two years ago but are now

tasked with bringing such a key event in the agriculture calendar out of hibernation and back to life. This is a huge undertaking so hats off to all that will ensure 2022 will truly be the best year yet.

Let us hope the weather is on our side and I look forward to seeing you all at the show and please remember to buy your tickets and parking in advance.

D-K-R

AGRICULTURAL SERVICES LTD. Main Dealers for John Deere Tractors

The new 6R Series

D-K-R AGRICULTURAL SERVICES LTD. Westfield, Coulter, Biggar, Lanarkshire ML12 6HN Tel. 01899 220897 • FAX. 01899 221413 E-Mail: dkrcoulter@hotmail-com

50

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Royal Highland Show 2022

Scottish Beekeepers Association creating a buzz!

by Alan Riach SBA Education After a difficult two years, the Honey tent will be back in business this year ready to welcome visitors eager to know how the bees have been faring in these difficult times. In truth the bees have probably been faring better than the beekeepers.

Early on in lockdown we were reminded by the Scottish Government Bee Inspectorate that we all had a duty to look after our animals. Beekeepers, like farmers were thus some of the few people moving about the countryside during the epidemic.

The Scottish Beekeepers Association (SBA) have a full

honey tent planned for this year with the usual honey, wax, honey baking and associated bee product entries. Under the guidance of the Highland Show Steward Jackie McCreery we have planned for the tent to be designated the Scottish Honey Championships. Enid Brown the SBA Shows Officer has arranged that we have three honey judges, John Goodwin (Cheshire), Paul Boyle (Ireland) and Pierre Sanders (Netherlands).

In addition to the bee product entries, we have entries for photos on beekeeping subjects and plan to have as many young people

Beekeepers

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

51

Royal Highland Show 2022 helping in the tent as possible.

There will be demonstrations of skep making (ruskies for the Scots speakers), an art traditionally associated with beekeeping, and we’ve secured some long Maris Widgeon straw for the purpose (an old-fashioned long wheat grown to supply the thatcher’s). We also hope to have wax moulding demos and of course for the children the ever-popular candle rolling and Covid restrictions allowing, honey tasting. There will be observation hives with tunnel exits to outside the tent, so let us hope for sunny days so that visitors can see the bees perform their waggle dances (their means of telling their sisters where the best nectar is located) The Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) are kind enough to arrange school visits to the honey tent on Thursday and Friday and we look forward to meeting some of school children who always show a keen interest

52

in the bees.

The SBA and the RHS are keen to involve young people in beekeeping and we hope to have lots of things on display of interest to young beekeepers and potential beekeepers. The Scottish Education Qualifications body now has a N5 qualification in beekeeping on offer, based on the SBA’s Basic Beekeeping syllabus and many Scottish schools have chosen to offer this course, having trained teachers in beekeeping, and have set up their own small apiary run by a school bee club. This has led to lots of new interest in beekeeping amongst young people and bodes well for the future of beekeeping in Scotland.

There has been a welcome increase in the interest in bees from the farming communities and a great willingness to improve the lot of pollinators. The bees have simple needs – give us plenty

of flowers, as free of man-made chemicals as possible. Bees don’t have a word for weeds, if it flowers we’re interested. We should remember that our largest flower sources are the hardwood trees, so plenty of sycamores, chestnuts,

hawthorns, and limes are good.

And let us not forget, we love a bite of Canola (low acid oil seed rape) and white clover.

So please do visit the honey tent, located by the West Gate, you’ll be made most welcome.

Music & Entertainment

As if the Royal Highland Show wasn’t enough to entertain - The Big Top is coming to Ingliston and visitors this year will have the chance to extend their stay to attend a concert on the Saturday evening.

Known for their anthemic altrock, Scotland’s very own Biffy Clyro will bring their prog-rockinfluenced sounds to The Big Top on 25th June 2022. The Ayrshire trio’s latest album has received

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

rave reviews and this, along with their iconic hits, will certainly call for a night not to be missed!

The concert will take place outwith the main showground on the west side, well away from all areas where livestock and horses are stabled penned or stalled.

The Royal Highland Show site will be fully secured and fenced, with dedicated security in place.

Animal welfare remains RHASS’ top priority and staff and directors,

Royal Highland Show 2022 who understand the needs of Show livestock and their handlers, have been fully engaged in the process.

Of course, there will also be the usual entertainment

Biffy Clyro will be performing this June

offerings across the Royal Highland Show itself – expect everything from pipe bands and ceilidhs to choirs and pop music!

Biffy Clyro

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

53

Royal Highland Show 2022

Handcrafts The Royal Highland Show sees an annual celebration of Scotland’s traditional rural handcrafts.

Makers of every kind gather from across the country to marvel at the artistic talents on offer and compete themselves

in the Scottish Handcrafts Championships.

A showcase of creativity, the Handcrafts Championships include categories for a wide a variety of art forms, from porcelain and beadwork to baskets and walking sticks.

The theme for entries this year is ‘Celebration of the Countryside’.

Some of the more unusual classes on the schedule for 2022 include ones for a ‘Sculptured Bug made out of Cutlery’, a ‘Bug Hotel in Woodwork’, and a ‘Book-Folded Beastie’.

This year, Handcrafts at the Show will be moving to a brand-new marquee in the Craft Zone. This will allow a better display of all the wealth of handcrafting talent that is gathered at the Show every year.

The Highlands Presidential Initiative Scotland’s Natural Capital

2022 marks 200 years since the Highland Society of Edinburgh held the first Show, so it seems fitting the Highlands are presiding over this year’s celebration of rural life at Ingliston.

Some of the highlights include: • The premiere of an immersive

54

experience “transporting” visitors to the Highlands • The chance to see a Harris Tweed loom in action • A talk from the Budge Sisters of Shetland The Highlands and Islands of 200 years ago was a different place from the vibrant and

modern region we see today.

Yet some things have stayed the same.

Our landscape is as stunning as ever from the pristine beaches of the Outer Hebrides to the towering mountains of the Cairngorms. Our cattle are grass fed and our crops still feed our livestock. And our people

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

remain resilient and inventive, constantly seeking out new ways to best utilise our natural resources, be it marine energy or forest crofts.

That’s why we’re focusing on Natural Capital for the Presidential Initiative 2022. This is an opportunity for people to see the very best our region has

Royal Highland Show 2022 to offer and take a peek back at the ways in which our area has been at the forefront of many innovations for centuries.

We plan to highlight three main themes under the umbrella of Natural Capital: • Food and drink, showcasing our outstanding produce • Tackling climate change, with a particular emphasis on renewable energy and peat restoration • Tourism and the traditional arts, crafts and music which make this area special President Ewan Macdonald explained: “It’s a particular

56

pleasure in this special year to offer a platform to some of the young companies who are making their mark across our region.”

The Presidential Initiative team has been determined from the start to ensure there is a profile for all parts of this wide and disparate region. There will be a showcase of more than 70 firms with a wonderful mix of established businesses, such as Johnston’s of Elgin, alongside newcomers like Orkney Marshmallows, whose company emerged during COVID. Ewan highlighted the importance of encouraging new

attendees, saying: “The Royal Highland Show is a brilliant opportunity for our businesses to showcase their products to 200,000 potential buyers and we’ve been delighted to support those attending for the first time.

As well as providing a platform it helps them make connections and encourage collaboration.”

The Presidential Team is excited about telling the story of a region of opportunity and innovation: • Home to the first hydro scheme in the country at Foyers on Loch Ness, we remain at the forefront of

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

renewable energy with the European Marine Energy Centre on Orkney.

• An area where we started growing barley long before the first licensed distillery was created on the Black Isle in the 1600s - are still helping make the best whisky in the world.

• A region whose stunning scenery and fascinating history is captivating new audiences worldwide thanks to new technology.

We look forward to seeing you at the Show!

Royal Highland Show 2022

A look at some of this years exhibitors Abbey Machinery

Abbey Machinery are delighted to return to the Royal Highland Show this summer to meet again with our customers. On the stand Abbey Machinery will feature the upgraded LESS Applicator range, robust slurry tankers, precision diet feeders, grassland toppers and fertilizer shakers.

Abbey Machinery have launched an upgraded range of low emission slurry spreading applicators. Applicators range from 7.7 metres to 12 metre models. The mounted standalone low emissions slurry spreading efficiently and sustainably deliver slurry to the ground complementing the Abbey tanker range. The benefits of these machines are the method they deliver the slurry onto the soil to harness value, reduce rotation period, reduce carbon emissions, minimise crop contamination and reduce smell.

Abbey Machinery LESS Applicators are key to efficiently meeting emissions reduction regulations while saving money through the precise application of valuable, nutrient dense slurry.

Abbey applicators are built strong and fully galvanized for longer working life. Applicators are mounted close to the tanker for maximum weight transfer to the tractor hitch. Additional features of some models include individual folding rams, spring back solutions and umbilical ready options.

The Abbey Machinery Diet Feeder range consists of 17 vertical auger diet feeders from 8 to 33.5 cubic metre capacity.

58

Abbey Machinery’s feeders provide a unique low auger profile, an elevated top knife for improved bale processing and mixing. In addition, there is a wider base for improved support, strength and working life. Abbey’s long counter knife comes further up the feeder from the floor aiding a faster breakdown process of material.

The doors in the feeder have a large opening for an even discharge of material. The gear box is mounted high up into the auger for guaranteed stability and working life.

Visit UK North Sales Manager Martin McWilliam and the Abbey team on Agricultural Ave E stand no. 102 Amazone

Amazone will take the opportunity at this year’s Highland Show on June 23rd – 26th to show off its extended pneumatic, harrow-mounted seed drill range.

The highlight of this new drill combination, the Centaya-C, is its 2,000 litre twin-chamber hopper. This makes it possible to apply several materials in one pass.

The new Centaya-C Super is available in working widths of 3, 3.5 and 4 metres.

The demands on modern seed drills as the basis for maximising yields are constantly changing owing to the growing challenges which are arising in professional crop production. Precise seed metering and exact depth placement therefore have top priority. Furthermore, there is a particular focus on the simultaneous application of several seed types, or the

parallel application of fertiliser with the seed. The twinchamber hopper means that the new Centaya-C Super now offers the option of sowing companion and undersown crops in addition to the main cash crop. These are of great benefit for weed suppression and for increasing erosion control and biodiversity. In addition, the simultaneous application of fertiliser is an efficient solution that leads to rapid seedling development and high field emergence. This sowing technique offers farmers and contractors a variety of establishment methods and a high degree of flexibility by the combination of seed and fertiliser. Moreover, fuel and time can be saved through a reduction in the number of passes.

The Centaya-C Super can be equipped with either the RoTeC pro single disc coulter or the TwinTeC double disc coulter.

The 400 mm RoTeC pro coulter enables the application of two media utilising the single-shoot process. In this case, the individually-metered media are brought together in the single disc coulter and fed to a single entry point using the same conveying system. This enables, for example, a small amount of fertiliser to be placed directly in the row along with the grain.

Balgownie Ltd

Balgownie Ltd is proud to have served goods and machinery to the North-East farming since 1907. The current board of directors have been at the helm

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

of the company for 35 years, during which time the business has expanded into various other sectors. Today we are a major force in the agricultural, construction and groundcare sectors covering the North of Scotland.

With our modern, purposebuilt depots at Thainstone Business Park, Inverurie, and Markethill Industrial Estate, Turriff, the business continues to be a major supplier of machinery to the agricultural, construction, groundcare and domestic sectors. With a portfolio of world-leading brands including Doosan, Bobcat, McCormick and Ifor Williams to name but a few.

At Balgownie Ltd our core values are to build and nurture long term customer relationships. We are responsive to our customers’ requirements, providing an excellent pre and after-sales service. We are honest and reasonable in our dealings and every customer is special to us, no matter how big or small. It is a measure of the company’s professionalism that Balgownie has the honour of being a Royal Warrant Holder for the supply and service of agricultural machinery to HM The Queen.

With the recent acquisition of the McCormick dealership, we have strengthened our agricultural line-up to help you tackle all your farm challenges.

With superior machines that combine all-day comfort, dependability and robust build quality we can offer you farm machinery you can truly rely on.

We look forward to welcoming all customers, old and new, onto our stands at the RHS 2022 to explore our range of world-leading brands and find out all about our exclusive show deals. Our team will be on hand with their expert advice to help guide you every step of the way. Come and visit us to experience our award-winning service for yourself.

Royal Highland Show 2022 Bunning

Weigh cell technology key to accurate manure application.

Application accuracy will be a significant consideration for farmers and growers spreading valuable organic manures this year, and the addition of weigh cells will offer increased precision for operators.

Weigh cells allow the operator to enter a target rate into the controller, which the spreader will then achieve by controlling the floor speed in relation the tractor’s forward speed. Weigh cells are a factory fitted option on all Bunning spreaders and support with setting up and

maintaining the technology is handled by Bunning, without the need to involve a third party.

Operators can see ‘live’ weighing from the 20-tonne weigh cells located on both the axle and drawbar. This gives further insight for the operator to help manage logistics of fill ups in the field and limit the number of empty runs, to help reduce soil compaction.

An ISOBUS ECU on the spreader allows integration with any compatible ISOBUS screen on the market. As an addition, Topcon’s iSOCAN head unit runs through the same system on the spreader and provides flexibility for users without a ISOBUS ready tractor, or operators wishing to run the spreader settings on a dedicated screen.

Two further screen options – Topcon XD and XD+ – offer users sophisticated control of the spreader and the option to integrate with third party

systems to display guidance, precision farming and variable rate application from prescription maps. Operators running through an ISOBUS connection only will need to upload maps into the tractor’s system to allow the data to communicate with the spreader’s ECU. Further benefits of weigh cells include detailed recording of every load, the area covered, application rate, rpm of spreading beaters and the tractor’s forward speed. A three-year warranty comes as standard on all Bunning spreaders from 6t up to 40t.

Claas UK

CLAAS is delighted to be back at the Royal Highland Show and

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

to have the opportunity to finally meet up with customers face to face again, and we hope that you will take the opportunity to come and visit our stand.

Here you will find on display many of the new additions to the CLAAS product range that have been launched over the past two years. New to the CLAAS tractor range have been the latest Stage V AXION 800 and ARION 400 ranges. Joining the Green Harvest range of machinery has been the DISCO 10 and 100, with working widths from 2.2 to 3.4 metres, in addition to the 4.20m wide DISCO 4400.

A new generation of LINER 2and 4-rotor range of rakes was also introduced last year, along with the new QUADRANT EVOLUTION range of large square balers. The JAGUAR 900 forager range has also benefitted from a move to Stage V engine power, touchscreen CEBIS terminal and updates to the feeder unit, corncracker and additive dosing system, plus a

59

Royal Highland Show 2022 new top-of-the-range model, the JAGUAR 990.

Latest updates to the SCORPION range include the new VARIPOWER 2 twin motor transmission in SCORPION small frame models. Based on the JAGUAR drive unit, this provides improved drive efficiency, reduced noise levels and a longer service life. The TORION wheel loader range has benefitted from the addition of the small TORION 530, two new TORION 1913 and 2014 flagship models, while updates to the mid-range models include the new TORION 1511P. Finally last Autumn saw the introduction of the new TRION combine range, which was recently been awarded a Farm Machine award. With a choice of 20 straw-walker, single and twin-rotor models, in addition to wide availability of tracked and MONTANA hillside versions, plus an extensive range of options, it is truly a range that can ‘Fit your Farm’.

Dalbo UK

to add on an attachment. We will be displaying our Maxiroll with crackerboard attachment at Highland show this year.

A machine which we have seen great growth in over the last 18 months is our DALBO Greenline. The Greenline is fitted with ballast drums and comes in 6.3m & 8.3m. The ballast drums have a curved edge to prevent scuffing at the headlands, and like the Maxiroll can be fitted with attachments and seeder units enabling it to be more than ‘just’ a roller. DALBO has always been an innovative company as time after time it has launched market changing products. DALBO takes great pride in being at the forefront of technology and the introduction the snowflake Cambridge ring was a typical example of this.

Offering the world market a 6 year guarantee on a Cambridge ring was unprecedented but the new snowflake design hasn’t disappointed.

We look forward to welcoming you onto our stand at the Royal Highland Show 2022. DALBO where originality matters.

BDC Systems Ltd

At DALBO we’re delighted to be back at the Royal Highland Show, Since DALBO UK was formed in 2010 the growth has been staggering. It’s very pleasing that, in such a competitive market, DALBO UK’s market share has grown year on year. The most popular product sold in the UK

by DALBO is the 12.3m Power Roll, closely followed by the 6.3 and 8.3m Maxiroll. The Maxiroll is commonly known as a ‘system’ roll as many attachments can be mounted to this frame enabling the machine to suit multiple applications. The most popular attachments are the hydraulically adjustable cracker boards and seeder units. One massive advantage of the Maxiroll is that the brackets necessary to take an attachment are always included in the ‘base’ machine, so it’s simple 60

extensive range of complete grain handling solutions.

BDC Systems’ Moisture Monitoring System (MMS) will be of particular interest as Scottish farmers face the challenge of high grain moisture during harvest.

Since its launch in 2019 the MMS has helped farmers and grain store operators to accurately and automatically check moisture content (mc) of grain as it leaves the drier on its way to storage.

Also on show will be Skandia Elevator’s next generation H-Line elevators. The H-Line will be of relevance to larger farmer enterprises, commercial grain storage operators and milling plants requiring high tonnage grain handling capability.

Interest in BDC Systems’ Svegma continuous flow driers will no doubt be strong, again driven

by Scotland’s climatic conditions.

Svegma driers have an industry leading reputation for outstanding quality and efficiency and are used extensively by farmers, farming co-operatives, commercial plant operators and maltsters.

Harvest 2022 will be upon us quicker than we think and BDC Systems is already working with many customers to plan for harvest 2023.

Don’t waste this opportunity to come and talk about BDC Systems’ MMS, aeration systems, Svegma driers and Skandia elevators.

Make sure you are ahead of the game and prepared for this year’s harvest and those that are to come.

chutes which has been developed and is made in Denmark and offers both comfort for the cow and the user. Ergonomically designed for easy and safe use. The KVK hoof trimming chute also won Gold in the Royal Highland Technical Innovation Award in 2016 and is always being developed. We have also developed our own hoof block adhesive which sticks both wooden and rubber blocks.

We also offer a comprehensive range of animal husbandry equipment including the MediDart injection system for injecting cattle whilst they are out at grass, taking away the stress of bringing in a field of cattle when only one may need medication.

At the 2022 Royal Highland Show we shall be showcasing Rapid walk behind tractors, Graham Edwards Trailers, Portequip, Tru-Test Weigh Equipment and a lots more.

With expansion into a thriving Biomass Wood Pellet delivery business, becoming fully BSL and Hetas registered and offering both bagged and bulk deliveries into the domestic and commercial market.

Agriculture is still a huge part of our business and we are always looking at bringing new products to the UK market and promoting products which we feel have a benefit in the UK farming industry.

We pride ourselves on customer service and to us ‘the customer does come first’.

Bryce Post Drivers

BD Supplies To say that a lot has happened since 2019 when we were last able to attend one of the most important events in the agriculture calendar, The Royal Highland Show, would be an understatement.

BDC Systems Ltd is eagerly awaiting this year’s Show (2336 June). Andrew Head, Sales Director and John Wilson, Scotland Area Sales Manager, are looking forward to welcoming existing and potential customers to Stand No. 55, as always located in Agri, Avenue C. The company will once again be showcasing key elements of its

BD Supplies are a family business established in 2000 as an Animal husbandry and Hoof trimming equipment supplies company.

Specializing in anything hoof trimming we can offer a range of goods from a basic knife right through to the KVK hoof trimming

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

The Company Policy of evolution continues with Bryce Post Drivers

Royal Highland Show 2022 The 180 PRO has recently seen various upgrades. Power comes from a Kubota Tier 4 EU stage 5 engine, now producing 50HP with an 8% increase in torque.

Rexroth transmission has been revised with lower gearing, suited especially for hill work.

Electronic in-cab controls now supercede the previous manual setup. These new controls were necessary to harmonise with the new engine management system.

On the track undercarriage, a revised bottom roller design has been introduced to further extend working life.

The Bryce Patented Rockspike Swing Engagement System which includes the clamshell holder, has seen a revised rockspike extraction cylinder and guide shaft design, to cope with the increased cylinder power when extracting rockspikes from tortuous ground conditions.

The front materials transporting cradle has been given increased clearance to improve front entry or rear departure angles when negotiating deep gullies, ditches and hill burns.

Full underbelly plating gives protection to the engine and transmission.

Various additional toolholders have been added for operator convenience.

BRYCE TRACTOR-MOUNTED machines have received internal modifications, giving added durability to complement the increased loading of the new revised heavy duty rockspike extraction system. This new system is now fitted to all Bryce machines when a rockspike is specified.

Additional tool holders have been added for operator convenience.

Farmdata

Aberdeen based Farmdata – a division of Landmark Systems

is pleased to announce the launch of Pear Agri agronomy software in June.

Landmark Systems, which acquired Farmdata in 2019, also acquired the Pear Agri business in June 2021. Pear Agri which already supplied PC based crop management and agronomy software, had begun the development of a web based agronomy package but needed assistance to complete this.

In the year since the acquisition, Landmark has driven development of the agronomy solution, which complements its existing range of specialist farm business management software. This includes the popular crop recording solution – Geofolia, which the majority of Pear Agri’s crop management software customers have now upgraded to.

Retaining the original brand name, Pear Agri agronomy software is the easy to use solution for agronomists needing a tool that allows them real working flexibility.

Agronomists using Pear Agri can export spray and fertiliser recommendations to clients using either Geofolia or Gatekeeper software. Spray recommendation compliance is ensured through integration with the LIAISON pesticide database, which is a standard feature.

Recommendations, requirement lists and order notes can also be printed and sent as PDF documents. Fertiliser plans using the RB209 API can also be created for combinable crops.

Being a web based solution, daily tasks can be completed by agronomists on the go.

Pear Agri agronomy software has been developed in close conjunction with a number of agronomists, who have provided both invaluable and positive feedback.

Pear Agri will be available to view on the Farmdata stand on Avenue Q at the Highland Show. Further information can also be found on Landmark’s website www.landmarksystems. co.uk. For those wanting to discuss further, or who require

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Royal Highland Show 2022 a bespoke demonstration please contact 01798 877100 to speak to John Macrae, our Edinburgh based consultant.

Harry West

The West Dual Spreader is 40 Years old.

Hidden in North Shropshire woodland is the pleasantly situated works of Harry West (Prees) Ltd where the successful West farm machinery is produced.

Way back in 1966, the same year as the England World Cup victory, founder and present

62

Chairman, Harry West, started a fabrication unit to meet the needs of the local agricultural community.

“In its formative years the company specialised in light fabrication and repair work of machinery for the local community. Through my experience as an agricultural engineer, the company began turning its attention to the development of new and innovative products”. Harry West. Chairman The company’s first Dual Spreader was introduced in 1979, heralding a new range of purpose made machinery developed with the busy farmer in mind.

The award winning West Dual Spreader as gone from strength to strength and developed over the years to suit modern farming practices were the unique design allows precision spreading of all types of farm waste/manure.

The West Dual Spreader remains a firm favourite in all types of farming 40 years after its introduction.

Hi-Spec Engineering

The value of slurry as a source of nitrogen and other nutrients has been brought sharply into focus following the recent hike in price for compound fertilisers.

However, if the maximum benefit is to be gained from the use of slurry, care should be taken as to how it is applied.

Research has shown that compared to a traditional splash

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

plate, where a trailing shoe is used grass yields increased by 25%.

By placing the slurry on the ground, trailing shoes and other forms of low emission slurry spreading, firstly reduce the risk of run-off but also minimise the amount of nitrogen lost into the air in the form of ammonia.

Hi-Spec Engineering manufacture a wide range of slurry tankers with capacities from 800 gallons (3,600 litres) up to 4000 gallons (18,866 litres), models from which will be on display at the Highland.

The wide range of options available include a Turbofill high capacity filling system, Autofill, anti-lock braking, GPS and numerous filling and other options, allowing you to tailor tankers to your specific needs.

To keep atmospheric losses to a minimum for maximum benefit, Hi-Spec Engineering

Royal Highland Show 2022 is able to provide a wide range of spreading options including their own design of Trailing Shoe in widths of 6.0, 7.5, 9.0 and 10.5 metres, in addition to their new 7.5m wide Dribble Bar applicator.

From the wide range of diet feeders available, the HiSpec Vertical Auger range is available in both single and twin auger variants with sizes from 7m3 up to 32m3. These use a low pitch mixing and chopping auger fitted with eight blades that creates a simple cycle action. A specific feature is its ability to quickly and efficiently incorporate complete bales into the mix, which also allows the Vertical Auger mixer to be used with lower horsepower tractors.

John Deere

John Deere’s new 6R Series tractors and the company’s largest ever sprayer will be among the fleet of machines on show for the first time at the Royal Highland.

The company announced the addition of four new models to its hugely popular 6R range last November, including the four-cylinder 6R 150 – aimed particularly at mixed farms – and the six-cylinder 6R 185, which is a specialist transport tractor for farmers and contractors who spend more time on the road.

The Highland will be the first time many farmers have seen the new models up close, and it will be the debut UK outing for the new R975i sprayer in Scotland.

It is the biggest trailed model the company has ever produced, with boom widths of 24-40m and a 7,500-litre capacity that tops the R900i Series lineup. The R975i brings higher accuracy, reduced chemical use

and more comfort when filling and operating the sprayer.

Another major technological breakthrough farmers can learn about at the show is the new eAutoPowr option available on the John Deere 8R 410. It is the world’s first electric infinitely variable transmission with electro-mechanical power split.

John Deere has completely replaced the hydraulic components with an electric power path. Two brushless electric motors are virtually wear-free and powertrain durability exceeds any other concepts previously offered in the industry. Moreover, this simplifies the design of the transmission and allows real time remote technical diagnosis.

Tactical Marketing Manager at John Deere UK, Chris Wiltshire, said: “The future of efficient, profitable agricultural production is going to be heavily dependent on boundarypushing technological advances and this year’s John Deere stand will be packed full of examples of fantastic machinery that can make a big difference to farm businesses.”

Krone UK

Join the Krone team at the Royal Highland Show! You’ll find us on plot 296, Avenue T. We’re excited to be back with a full range of KRONE kit including the new generation BiG Pack baler, VariPack Plus Round Baler and Vendro series of tedders.

The new styled BiG Pack baler boast a 20% longer bale chamber of 3.6m, a performance boosted VFS system and a newly integrated variable rate additive system.

Ensure high outputs and dense bales with the VariPack

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Royal Highland Show 2022 balers. Using the EasyFlow pick up technology, the VariPack ensures a consistent crop flow into the chamber. The bale chamber is made up of 3 endless belts running at a high speed and pressure.

Our newy designed Vendro tedder series guarantees quality forage with the its new OptiTurn tines. These curved tines lift and spread the crop further than a standard straight tine.

A full collection of KRONE Merchandise will also be available to purchase throughout the show from our shop.

Learn more about KRONE machines at www.krone-uk.com Kverneland

As with other Kverneland tedder models in the range, with the exception of the pto, the tedder’s driveline, rotors and pivot joints are maintenance-free. Gearboxes are oil-immersed, and also maintenance-free.

Hydraulic requirements include one single- and one double-acting service, with the 85156C folding to less than 3m wide for transport, by folding to place its rotors onto the trailed chassis.

Running gear includes 380/55-17 tyres, with wider 500/55-17 tyres available as an option.

Visit Kverneland in avenue S for more information on this and other products in the range.

Lemken

coulters via a seed pipe and deposited in a seed furrow.

This allows a suitable starting dose of fertiliser to be added for winter sowing or a complete fertiliser application for summer sowing. An automatic tramline mechanism is integrated into the distributors.

The double-shot system provides greater deposition flexibility. With this system, the two components flow separately to a double disc coulter via doubled distributors in two seed pipes. They can then be spread either in a single row, as with the single-shot method, or separately and alternately in two rows following a quick exchange of the tramline cartridge in the distributor. In addition, the deposition depth of every other row can be adjusted separately via the pressure roller up to a difference of 5 cm. This allows two different seeds to be placed at different, optimum seeding depths or inter-row fertilisation to be applied while seeding.

Lynx Engineering

Kverneland has introduced a high-capacity trailed tedder to its grass equipment range.

This new model is called the 85156C and boasts a 15.6m working width, offering greater output over the existing 11.2m 85112C trailed machine.

Aimed at those seeking high output with intensive tedding, the 85156C uses 14, small diameter tedding rotors to provide a generous overlap.

This overlap ensures no grass is left untouched, delivering efficient crop handling, effortless turn-over and even distribution across the full working width.

Accurate ground following is a result of a flexible frame concept, that ensures the rotor assemblies float independently of the trailed chassis. This feature helps to maintain a constant working height for the tines, while a hydraulically operated swath board can be used to prevent over-spreading on headland boundaries.

64

Just under a year after the successful market launch of the Solitair 9+ pneumatic seed drill, LEMKEN now introduces its new “Duo” version with divided seed hopper. This machine offers a wide range of options for simultaneously spreading seeds, fertiliser and even catch crops. With it, LEMKEN, the specialist for professional arable farming, has expanded its portfolio to include a machine for consistently cost-optimised market fruit cultivation.

The seed hopper of the Solitair 9+ Duo holds 1,850 litres. Its capacity can be split 50/50 or 60/40, depending on needs. As a result, two application variants are possible: In the single-shot version, seeds and fertiliser are combined downstream from the two metering units in each of the two hopper segments.

The different components are guided to the double disc

The next generation of Stoll Profiline front loaders are set to make their public debut in Scotland at the Royal Highland Show 2022 where they will be featured by importer, Lynx Engineering, on their trade stand.

Behind the smart, new look of this latest generation of ProfiLine loaders are a range of technical developments and new, innovative design features that further improve the ProfiLine’s capacity, all-round performance, operating safety and serviceability. Stoll have also extended the ProfiLine model choice in a range designed to ensure a perfect fit on tractors between 50 and 300hp+.

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

“We’re really excited about the new Profiline loaders,” said Nick Ewbank, Managing Director of Lynx Engineering.

“We’ve been seeing lots of interest since January and this is reflected by a very healthy order pipeline for the new Profiline range for both new and secondhand tractors,” he added.

The new ProfiLine range incorporates the technology platform on which an increasing range of loader functions will be made available in the near future. These include the options of Work Area Restrictions, a system of sensors which, for example, can automatically restrict loader height when working in barns with low overhead space.

Payload Weighting will also be available, enabling operators to weigh the load on the job, ensuring material loading accuracy in real time for bucket work or when handling bales, silage, big bags and pallets.

These new systems, together with Electronic Self-Levelling, will sit alongside established ProfiLine features such as the Drive-In System, Return to Dig, Comfort Drive, HydroFix, Anti-Lowering Guard, rapid implement attachment using Euro-frame or Combi Headstocks and Stoll’s unique Re-scooping function which ensures the bucket is always full with no trickle losses.

This works by increasing the maximum tilt angle of between 40° and 46° on the ground up to 64° by re-scooping when lifting.

Boom work lights and cameras are also available.

Massey Ferguson

Massey Ferguson returns to The Royal Highland Show this year

Royal Highland Show 2022 with a brand new machinery lineup and a brand new back drop as they move to the area that Scot JCB once held.

The new, larger stand will play host to a wider range of machinery and services as well as the usual friendly welcome you would come to expect.

“This is a blank canvas for us this year” says Lindsay Haddon, Advertising and Sales Promotion Manager, Massey Ferguson, UK & EIRE. “It’s with great pleasure that we are able to continue to support The Royal Highland Show, our Customers and Dealers here in Scotland, the larger stand means we can showcase even more of our fantastic lineup and offer even greater customer hospitality, the four day show is always an extremely important part of Massey Ferguson’s promotional calendar, it’s an opportunity to meet up with customers and spend time talking to them about their needs and aspirations.”

The show stealer this year will be a very special tractor which will take centre-stage on the stand as part of Massey Ferguson’s 175th anniversary and The Queens’ Platinum jubilee celebration’s which begin in June.

Visitors to the stand will be able to view the latest, awardwinning machinery including the new S Series of tractors, plus the smaller M Series range, a plethora of grass machinery including the Pro-tec baler, materials handling and the MF IDEAL combine.

The Massey Ferguson Team and Dealer staff will be on hand to assist with any questions or just a friendly chat and look forward to welcoming people back after a difficult couple of years.

McHale Engineering

McHale are looking forward to the return of the Royal Highland 66

Show and will be exhibiting a wide range of machinery on their stand throughout the 4 days. This year, McHale has increased their stand size and will be showcasing a number of machines which will include the McHale Centre Delivery Rake, the McHale Pro Glide range of mowers, the McHale Fusion Vario with single belt, the McHale Fusion 3 Plus with ISOBUS, round balers from their F5000 fixed and V6/V8 variable chamber ranges, and a selection of both round & square bale wrappers along with the C4 straw blower & silage feeder.

McHale have expanded their range of variable chamber balers with the introduction of the McHale V8940 nonchopper baler and the McHale V8950 15-knife chopper baler.

These high output machines are designed to produce dense bales from 2’ – 6’ 3” in diameter.

This increase in bale size and improved density means the McHale V8 baler can produce bales with up to 30% more crop in a 6’ 3” bale then what is achievable in a 5’ 6” V6 bale.

McHale have developed the ISO-Play terminal software in a way that allows full ISOBUS compatibility, but also benefits the McHale proprietary autoswitching camera functionality (as used in the existing iTouch terminals).

Auto-switching of cameras makes the baling process easier for operators and also reduces the in-cab clutter as a second camera monitor is no longer required.

For the coming season, McHale are offering ISOBUS and ISO-PLAY terminals as an option on the following machines: McHale V6750 Variable Chamber Baler McHale V8950 Variable Chamber Baler McHale Fusion 3 Pro Integrated Baler Wrapper McHale Fusion 3 Plus Integrated Baler Wrapper McHale sales and service personnel will be on hand to discuss the latest products and technologies on their stand on Avenue S.

Merlo

Alongside their full range of highly versatile and hard-working machines, Merlo will be showing their all-new fully electric telescopic handler, the eWorker, at the Royal Highland show this year. With an eight hour run time on a nine hour charge, the eWorker keeps pace with even the busiest of jobs around the farm. Its 2.5 tonne capacity and 5 metre reach means it is valuable for a wide variety of tasks, while making it the most compact telehandler produced by Merlo to date.

Available to use with a diverse selection of Merlo attachments, the eWorker continues some of Merlo’s key trends: versatility, cab comfort and ease of use. The eWorker offers a full 4-wheel drive, manoeuvrability and safety in a variety of handling operations.

Merlo’s innovation in the telehandler and machinery space continues as they take the first step towards a better, more sustainable way. Zero emissions. Zero fuel consumption. Zero noise. Merlo’s Generation Zero has arrived with the all-new Merlo eWorker.

Murray Machinery

Established in 1979, Murray Machinery Ltd has been operating from within Aberdeenshire for over 40 years, manufacturing material handling attachments to fit telescopic handlers, forklifts and tractor loaders for the UK agricultural sector.

We have an extensive product range of over 40 machines with numerous variations such as bale

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

handling equipment, muck-grabs, grain buckets, push-off buckrakes, stone forks, snow blades, access platforms and quick hitch adaptors as well as our award-winning gravel road grader.

Our gravel road grader recently won the Silver Award at the Royal Highland Technical Innovation Awards 2020. The purpose of the Murray Gravel Road Grader is to reinstate gravel roads which have fallen into a state of disrepair, to a new and pristine condition.

The grader has various options available including bolt on hardox edges, hydraulically operated ripper teeth and a hydraulically operated tilting frame. And now with the new addition of a rear packer roller, the Murray Machinery gravel road grader is now able to carry out four different functions in the same machine.

With careful adjustment of the levelling beams the road grader is able to leave the road surface high in the middle or the machine can also put a camber or a slope on the whole width of the roads therefore helping to take care of rain water management. In utilising stone from the existing road surface, great savings can be made on time, effort and the money spent on maintaining your gravel road.

Murray Machinery take pride in the quality and presentation of products and with the help of the latest CAD design and CNC machine tools, reliability and durability are at the forefront.

Osmonds

Established in 1854, Osmonds has provided over 165 years of service to the farming community.

Their wealth of knowledge and experience has led to the development of many popular and successful products, ensuring

Royal Highland Show 2022 that they provide the trusted level of performance that customers depend on. Find specifically formulated, tried and trusted supplements for sheep, cattle, horses, llamas & alpacas and dogs.

As clear industry innovators, Osmonds was the first company to introduce dried colostrum into the UK and continue to manufacture their best selling and dependable Osmonds Premium Brand Colostrum Supplements, essential for providing the best start in life.

The Osmonds range also includes their gold standard ‘boost’ drenches, Oviboost & Oviboost with Copper for sheep, and Boviboost for cattle. Each drench is packed full of essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids, along with organic chelates to maximise absorption. The emulsified drench base is easy flowing, preventing gun blockage for continuous and accurate administration.

Specially formulated to assist with growth,

performance and condition, ensuring you get the very best results from your livestock.

Whether your goal is to help prevent deficiency, boost performance or increase fertility, Osmonds ‘Boost’ drench range is the answer.

See Osmonds at The Royal Highland Show 23rd – 26th June 2022! 15th Ave|Stand 527.

Perry of Oakley

Perry of Oakley Ltd. specialise in manufacturing continuous

mixed flow grain driers to fit all capacities and budgets.

Two drier models are available: the entry level “Mistral” and the top specification “Savannah” series.

The two drier ranges provide driers to fit requirements and budgets from farms to commercial grain stores.

Both driers have Perry’s own advanced touch screen PLC panel, which can be linked to any smart phone for control of the drier from any location.

This technology is designed and programmed in house and allows Perry engineers (UK-based) remote access for diagnostics and adjustments.

The auto control uses both the exhaust air temperature and hot grain temperature to give advanced control of the drier, to maintain a consistent moisture content of the discharged grain.

To promote consistent movement of grain down the grain column, even in very

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

wet conditions, all Savannah Series Driers are fitted with pneumatically controlled shutter discharge. This ensures precise and even movement across the whole bed. The Mistral range of driers are fitted with Perry’s proven roller discharge as standard (shutter discharge is available as an optional extra).

Perry also provide fire detection systems that can be retro-fitted to any make of drier, giving you vital early warning of fire helping you reduce the damage to the drier and surrounding plant. The system can be stand alone or integrated into your control panel.

In the handling range, Perry manufacture and supply a full range of handling equipment including chain & flight conveyors, aspirator precleaners, belt & bucket elevators, belt conveyors, U-trough and tubular screw conveyors, which come in three different performance levels: industrial

67

Royal Highland Show 2022 (150-1000tph), light industrial (60-150tph) & agricultural (860tph).

Perry have a large factory in the UK and stock numerous spares so they can respond quickly to spare part requests and breakdowns, with no delays bringing parts into the country.

Pottinger

Pottinger, the specialist for arable and seed drill technology, has expanded its range of AEROSEM FDD pneumatic seed drills. The 6 metre folding model with front hopper will make its first UK debut at

68

this years Royal Highland Show. Following on from the launch of the 4 and 5 hydraulic folding models the new 6002 FDD shares many of the same innovative features.

During development, special emphasis was placed on conveying high rates of seed and fertiliser to the coulter rail, hence why a pressurised front tank system was adopted. The dual metering system allows single shoot metering to place not only seed but also fertiliser, companion crop or microgranules in the seed slot in a single step, ensuring maximum flexibility. This allows the requirements of modern agriculture to be met in full by the new AEROSEM front hopper seed drill, especially regarding regulations on fertilisers, seed dressing and biodiversity.

The compact, folding coulter rail with a short headstock puts the centre of

gravity impressively close to the tractor. The distributor head is mounted on the coulter rail and features a patented system that guarantees it is always kept in vertical position. The proven DUALDISC double disc coulters are offset at 30 cm and ensure precision seed placement. Convenient operation, especially regarding the coulter rail, makes the entire system very user-friendly. The coulter pressure can be adjusted mechanically (hydraulic adjustment is available as an option) from a central point and seed placement depth is set conveniently from the side of the machine.

Pottinger welcome the return of the Royal Highland Show as it continues to be a highlight in the events calendar.

We look forward to welcoming you to the stand where we can show you the new LION and AEROSEM combination drill and discuss its advantages.

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Powerwasher Services

The PWS team are delighted to be back exhibiting at the Royal Highland Show after what has been a challenging 2 years in business. We are back on the road providing our second to none back-up service for our huge customer base and selling quality cleaning, heating and workshop equipment throughout Scotland which now sees us entering our 40th year in business.

It wasn’t all bad for us at PWS as we became proud Royal Warrant holders on 1st April 2021. This is a massive

Royal Highland Show 2022 achievement for us and we are extremely proud to have served the Royal Households in Scotland for some time.

Selling Power Washers to farmers is how the business began and it is still paramount in the growth of the business today, although over the years the introduction of Sweepers and vacuums to tackle dust problems, Scrubber Driers to clean floors, Air compressors, Generators and all manners of cleaning equipment has seen the business grow and the many accessories and cleaning detergents alongside the service and repairs required for the equipment makes for a busy day at PWS. Jack, Liz and Jim are very proud of the fantastic work force and without a great team to get the work done the company would not be where it is now.

There have been many changes in the 40 years and recently a range of Electric Power Washers have been selling well. If you want to get away from using diesel then there is the option of fully electric.

Why don’t you pop along to the stand on isle T and have a look at our fantastic range of products, we would be delighted to offer you some hospitality and product information. If any of the equipment is of interest, we can arrange a free, no obligation demonstration.

announce that in addition to our extensive range of visual and electronic tags, stock recording equipment, software and apps and sheep handling systems, we can now offer the full range of Pyon Products. Shearwell Data acquired the Pyon Products business in November 2021. Pyon Products Ltd was established in 2015 by Gill

and Alan Dickson and is well known for providing innovative product solutions for livestock management including the Heatwave Milk Warmer, Store & Thaw and Frisky Lamb warmer.

Richard Webber, Director of Shearwell Data Ltd commented: “Pyon Products is a highly innovative business, that has

designed and brought to market a range of award winning and ingenious products that support livestock farming businesses.

As a farming and familyowned business, we are always looking at ways to enhance our offering to customers here in the UK and overseas. The acquisition of Pyon Products is an exciting next step and

Shearwell Data

Shearwell Data is committed to working to help livestock farmers by supplying quality products and providing good customer service and technical support. We are pleased to www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

69

Royal Highland Show 2022 enables the Shearwell Data business to offer an extended range of exciting new husbandry products to our customers. The Pyon range will benefit from access to our extensive R&D facility, to assist in the further development of the product range.

The Pyon Products brand is recognised for offering quality products and good customer service – two features that align very well with the Shearwell Data business ethos. We look forward to growing the brand and extending the reach of these exciting products”.

To find out more visit our stand within the NSA tent at The Highland, contact our Scotland Representative Jane Thomson on 07788 209 438 jane. thomson@shearwell.co.uk or go online www.shearwell.co.uk Terrington

is the ultimate superstar in the tined weeder segment. Just like its AEROSTAR siblings, the adjustment of aggressiveness is done without pressure cables.

This makes the “FUSION” userfriendly and reliable in equal measure. Working in higher crops (cereals, soy and maize) is no problem at all. The special frame design ensures smooth operation and durability at the same time. Extreme flexibility is also provided by the individually placeable support wheels and the unique, adjustable frame.

The AEROSTAR-FUSION is the next step Einböck is taking to build its status being the manufacturer with the widest range of machines for mechanical weed control. The 9th machine in the range will be available in the UK for demonstration from Terrington Machinery for the next season in a limited number of preproduction machines.

Call David on 01553828083 or 07966-417720 details or demonstration enquiries.

airstream and placed together into the soil.

High drilling output is achieved with eight separate sections, which allows Inspire 1200C/S to operate with variable rate and sectional control down to 1.5m sections.

Constant and even product flow from the hopper to the seed coulters is achieved via eight Fenix III metering units.

Inspire 1200C/S unique double disc seed coulter system allows it to adapt to any field irregularities, thereby keeping a constant seed depth and accurate placement over the entire field.

The drilling operation is controlled via the iPad-based control system Väderstad E-Control, which is also possible to connect with an ISOBUS task control system.

Väderstad’s new 12m will be available from the end of 2022.

Yamaha ATV’s

Vaderstad

AEROSTAR-FUSION: The ultimate superstar in the tined weeder industry Just in time for the Agritechnica 2022, Einböck is expanding its weeding technology product program with a completely newly developed precision tined weeder.

The AEROSTARFUSION demonstrates its advantages particularly in special crops such as vegetables and herbs, but also in hill-crops.

The premium weeder scores with indirectly spring-loaded tines that can be set very easily and precisely for sensitive operation.

Furthermore, common field crops such as maize, beets, soya, etc., can of course be weeded in extremely early stages of crop growth with excellent results.

In all aspects, such as tine arrangement, adjustment and mounting, wheels, frame design, etc. the premium weeder 70

Väderstad is proud to introduce the new product family Inspire - focused on bringing excellent seeding results to the 12-metre seed drill segment. Then new Väderstad Inspire 1200C/S is designed to combine high capacity with an exact seeding precision.

Inspire 1200C/S will be available in two different models – Inspire 1200S and Inspire 1200C. The seedonly version Inspire 1200S is equipped with a 5000-litre hopper for seeds. The combi version Inspire 1200C has a 7200-litre hopper holding both seed and fertiliser in two separate compartments, which is later mixed into the same

Yamaha off road vehicles are designed to handle any environment and any desire.

And because there’s no such thing as a typical customer, Yamaha offers you the most diverse choice of ATVs and Side-by-Side models. Built to work hard and play hard, these adaptable go-anywhere off roaders are ready to perform almost any role. With their rugged construction and high torque engines, the Kodiak ATVs and the Viking Side-bySide get the job done in the harshest conditions – and their ability to haul large payloads makes them the ultimate work partners.

When it’s time to relax, the Grizzly ATVs and the Wolverine Side-by-Side models offer the

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

highest levels of capability, comfort and confidence in the workplace or on the trail – making real adventure more accessible than ever before.

Featuring easy to use controls, Yamaha’s kid’s ATVs are the ideal introduction to a one-of-a-kind experience.

With their reliable engines, lightweight chassis designs and aggressive bodywork, the ATV sport models give everybody the chance to step up and not only enjoy the freedom, but also to feel a part of the Yamaha family.

The Yamaha 10-Year Belt Warranty covers all Assembled V-belts in the European models from model year 2022 with the Ultramatic® transmission, including the Wolverine RMAX 1000 lineup, Wolverine 850 lineup, Viking 700, Kodiak 450, Kodiak 700 and Grizzly 700 models.

The promise to produce Proven Off-Road ATVs and Side-by-Side vehicles provides our customers with the capability, comfort and confidence to get out and enjoy the outdoors. Whether it be for work or play, Yamaha owners can have faith that their vehicle will not only get them where they want to go, but also get them back. With the new 10-year belt warranty, Yamaha solidifies its wellearned reputation for superior durability and reliability, and further sets itself apart from the competition.

Zetor UK

Zetor UK Ltd are proud to be part of the Bicentenary of the RHS, and are very much looking forward to exhibiting again after an enforced break, during the last year Zetor too has been celebrating a milestone, this

Royal Highland Show 2022 being 75 years of production from its Czech base at Brno, though much has changed during those 75 years one thing remains constant and that is Zetor’s commitment to produce a value for money product that offers performance and reliability with low running costs.

The latter is achieved by a process known as “Parts Unification Concept” an idea first introduced during 1966, i.e. many parts being common to all models , Zetor MD Nigel Wilson explained “For example, if a dealer has just one fuel filter in stock he has a filter for every Zetor engined unit no matter what the HP. A straight forward concept, much appreciated by both user and dealer”.

At the 2022 Show Zetor UK Ltd will feature Tractors and Loaders, which is the real ethos of the company. Zetor has been synonymous to the tractor and loader market for many years

and the current range is certainly no exception to this, the Zetor TracLift combination being very sought after. On display will be Tractors from 76HP to 137 HP featuring loaders and also 147 HP and 171HP Forterra and Crystal ranges that provide a real cost effective extra bit of muscle to any farming enterprise.

Also on display will be MetalFach Grassland equipment, including mowers, tedders, rakes and balers. Zetor UK Ltd are looking forward to welcoming you along to view the tractors and equipment on display.

Nigel Wilson also commented “The UK tractor market is definitely dividing into two very specific categories either the Hi-Tech user that require CVT, GPS etc or the straight forward user who is looking for HP without all the frills, which is were Zetor are truly leaders in the field”.

Future Royal Highland Show Dates 2023

22-25

2nd last Thursday

2024

20-23

2nd last Thursday

2025

19-22

2nd last Thursday

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

71

Royal Highland Show 2019

Royal Highland Show 2015

Royal Highland Show Visitor Information Showground Opening and Closing Times Visitors are advised of the Conditions of Entry which are published on the Royal Highland Show and RHASS websites and are displayed at the public entrances to the Show.

Thursday 23rd June General Public Opening Time: 7:00 - 20:00

Saturday 25th June General Public Opening Time - 07:00 - 20:00

• • • • • • •

• • • • • • • •

• • •

Licensed Premises: from 11:00 Restaurants with bar: from 11:00 13th Avenue Arcade & Scotland’s Food & Drink Hall: 9:00 - 19:00 General Trade Stands: 9:00 - 18:00 RHET Discovery Centre: 9.00 -17.00 Main Ring: 8:00 - 20:00 Countryside Arena: 9:45 - 18:00 Forestry Arena: 8:30-19:00 The Forge: 8:45 - 18:30 Entertainment Stages: 11:00-18:00

Friday 24th June General Public Opening Time: 07:00 - 20:00 • • • • • • • • • • •

Licensed Premises: from 11:00 Restaurants with bar: from 11:00 13th Avenue Arcade & Scotland’s Food & Drink Hall: 9:00 - 19:00 General Trade Stands: 9:00 - 18:00 RHET Discovery Centre: 9.00 -17.00 Main Ring: 7:45 - 20:00 Countryside Arena: 9:45 - 18:00 Forestry Arena: 8:30-19:00 The Forge: 8:45 - 17:00 Sheep Shearing: 13:30-16:00 Entertainment Stages: 11:00-18:30

• • •

Licensed Premises: from 11:00 Restaurants with bar: from 11:00 13th Avenue Arcade & Scotland’s Food & Drink Hall: 9:00 - 19:00 General Trade Stands: 9:00 - 18:00 RHET Discovery Centre: 9.00 -17.00 Main Ring: 7:30 - 20:00 Countryside Arena: 9:45 - 18:00 Forestry Arena: 8:30-19:00 The Forge: 8:45 - 17:00 Sheep Shearing: 8:00-16:00 Entertainment Stages: 11:00-18:00

Sunday 26th June General Public Opening Time: 07:00 - 18:00 • • • • • • • • • • •

Licensed Premises: from 11:00 - 17:00 Restaurants with bar: from 11:00 – 17:00 13th Avenue Arcade & Scotland’s Food & Drink Hall: 9:00 - 17:00 General Trade Stands: 9:00 - 18:00 RHET Discovery Centre: 9.00 -17.00 Main Ring: 7:30 - 17:30 Countryside Arena: 9:45 - 18:00 Forestry Arena: 8:30 - 17:00 The Forge: 9:00 - 15:00 Sheep Shearing: 8:00-16:00 Entertainment Stages: 11:00-17:00

Ticket information

All tickets, including car parking, must be bought in advance from the Royal Highland Show website, with none available to buy on the gate this year. Tickets are limited in number and are expected to sell out.

Adult day single admit: £32.50 (plus £2.15 service charge) Children 15 and under will go free with a paying adult (*max 2 children per paying adult) Parking: £15 per day, two-day parking £20, four-day parking £25 72

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Article

From whisky to biofuel: How three Scottish businesses have teamed up to beat the world

Three Scottish companies have joined forces to accelerate the launch of a potentially worldbeating biofuel technology.

The companies are Ardnamurchan Distillery, Woodlands Renewables and Scotland’s first bio refinery, Celtic Renewables, based in Grangemnouth.

Celtic Renewables has already attracted £43million of investment and the new bio refinery will be able to produce one million litres of sustainable biochemicals annually and five large-scale refineries are planned worldwide in the next five years.

The plant will use Celtic Renewables’ patented technology to convert 50,000 tonnes of biological material into renewable chemicals, sustainable biofuel, and other commercially and environmentally valuable commodities.

The catalyst for the cooperation by the three companies is serial Scottish investor Donald Houston of Ardnamurchan Estates who has substantial stakes in all three companies.

Mr Houston said: ”Celtic Renewables needs a biproduct of whisky distilling called pot ale to assist in its testing process before starting full production of its biochemicals and biofuel.

“The pot ale is piped over the hill from the distillery to the neighbouring Woodland Renewables, a local business set up to repurpose the distillery’s by-products whilst adding value to the local economy. At the Woodland Renewables plant it is combined with draff (another distillery by-product) and turned into a nutritious animal feed used on the peninsula to feed local livestock. Woodland Renewables will transport part of their pot ale stock to Celtic Renewables.

Celtic Renewables CEO Mark Simmers & President and founder Professor Martin Tangney OBE

“Since their launch, sustainability has been a major component of Ardnamurchan Distillery’s overall strategy.

Looking at new ways to improve their sustainability and circular economy, this innovative technology developed by Celtic Renewables fits perfectly with the distillery’s objective.“ Alex Bruce, the Ardnamurchan Distillery MD said: “We designed The Ardnamurchan Distillery to be as sustainable as possible, and we continue to monitor and develop this as new technologies become available. Our energy all comes from local renewable sources (hydro and biomass) and our coproducts, which are traditionally produced in all distilleries, are supplied to our neighbours, Woodland Renewables.

“From there they add value to the local circular economy by providing highly nutritional animal feed to livestock on Ardnamurchan, and we are incredibly excited that they also now deliver additional value to

Celtic Renewables for conversion into sustainable chemicals and biofuels.

This combination is a fantastic example of collaborative, high value and sustainable long-term investment in the Scottish economy.”

Celtic Renewables’ President and founder Professor Martin Tangney OBE said: “These tests we will be conducting with the whisky residue are the culmination of the lab work we started at Edinburgh Napier University in 2008 which led to the formation of our company in 2012. The substantial equity investment that enabled us to spinout Celtic Renewables came entirely from Donald Houston.

“Since then, we have gone on to raise over £43million in multiple rounds and Donald has contributed consistently along the way.

“Donald took the risk on us when we had nothing more than a lab-based research project but with ambition for global domination, and he has been both a committed financial

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

investor and a stalwart investor in the people and the concept behind the company ever since.

“Once in production we will have contracts for consistent supply of significant volumes of pot ale from the Scotch whisky industry. With the plant being commissioned we needed an ad hoc supply of pot ale on demand.

Donald has stepped in to meet that need, to get us through to the full production phase.”

Donald Houston added: “Both Celtic Renewables technology and a new distillery such as Ardnamurchan Distillery require long term financial investment before seeing any returns. The time taken to start commissioning the renewable plant and produce a saleable output is very similar to that of having a saleable whisky ready on the market. This long-term investment strategy rather than the usual short-term commonly offered to start-ups, is crucial to the health of our economy. I am proud to be a part of this longtern view.”

73

environment £227m to support Wales’ rural economy towards a greener and more sustainable future £227 miliwn i helpu economi wledig Cymru greu dyfodol mwy gwyrdd a chynaliadwy

The Welsh Government is making £227m available over the next three years to support the resilience of Wales’ rural economy and our natural environment, Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths has announced.

Wales’ rural areas are rich in natural resources supporting communities and livelihoods,

74

and will play an important role in building a new, green economy responding to the climate and nature emergencies we are facing.

This funding is designed to support the pace and scale of change needed as part of our 10 years of action on climate change, to enable a just transition to a stronger, greener, fairer Wales.

This allocation of funding responds to the ending of the EU Rural Development Programme (RDP), which will close in 2023.

It will ensure continuity of support for important actions previously funded under the RDP. Funding, which will be available to support farmers, foresters, land managers and associated rural sectors will be delivered across six themes: Farm scale land management – on-farm sustainable land management actions to enhance natural resources, such as encouraging the growing of crops which provide an environmental benefit like protein crops.

On farm environmental improvements including enhancing fuel, feed and nutrient efficiency, embedding circular economy approaches and encouraging the use of renewable energy.

On farm efficiency and diversification - supporting farm efficiencies through investment in new technology and equipment and to enable opportunities for agricultural diversification.

Landscape scale land management - delivering nature based solutions at a landscape scale, through a multi-sectoral collaborative approach.

Woodland and forestry supporting our commitment of 43,000 hectares of woodland creation by 2030 and supporting the creation of a timber based industrial strategy.

Food and farming supply chains - creating a strong and

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths

vibrant Welsh food and drink industry with a global reputation for excellence with one of the most environmentally and socially responsible supply chains in the world.

The framework compliments the development of the Sustainable Farming Scheme, which will reward farmers and land managers for the work they do to meet the challenges of the climate and nature emergencies alongside the sustainable production of food, with benefits for food security in Wales and globally.

The Minister announced schemes, worth a total value of £100m, are either open now or will be launched in the coming weeks to support these themes with more to be come as detailed design work continues.

These schemes will support improvements to enhance natural resources on farms and help farmers to convert to organic production systems.

There will also be schemes which support the Welsh horticulture sector and investment

environment in new equipment and technology to enhance the technical, financial and environmental performance of farm businesses.

As part of the package of support, there are schemes offering grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 to develop plans for new woodland creation and a scheme to support woodland restoration.

Discussions with Plaid Cymru to deliver commitments

within the Co-operation Agreement are on-going.

This includes working with the farming community to encourage woodland creation on less productive land and through agro-forestry and ‘hedges and edges’ approaches, and to explore ways of drawing investment for woodland creation that secures local ownership and management.

Under the weather?

Rebecca Audsley, Principal Consultant, SAC Consulting

Calls for slurry storage funding in Scotland to meet new rules

NFU Scotland is calling on the Scottish Government to increase the agri-environment budget as a matter of priority to specifically fund the significant levels of capital investment that will be required on many Scottish farms to comply with new slurry storage rules coming into force over the next four years.

It calls for funding for slurry storage investment to be ring-fenced within the AgriEnvironment Climate Scheme (AECS), the grant rate available per project to be increased and for the funding to be made more widely accessible.From a total AECS budget of some £290 million since 2016, it appears that less than 2 per cent has been allocated to slurry storage, with only 134 slurry storage applications approved.

In addition, while the focus of investment through the Sustainable Agricultural Capital Grant Scheme (SACGS) has shifted to precision slurry applications and slurry store covers, the limited £5 million earmarked for this year falls way short of the ‘transformational’ funding required. To be effective in reducing emissions and enhancing the environment, SACGS must be significantly expanded – in terms of overall

available funding, eligible expenditure, funding per business and grant rates.

NFU Scotland had an unprecedented level of response and concerns from members last year when consulting on the proposals. The Scottish Government’s Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2021 came into force on 1 January 2022. The Union has described the regulations as a purely regulatory solution that delivers nothing for the Scottish economy or for fragile rural communities highly dependent on agricultural production.

The new regulations require minimum slurry storage of 22 weeks for housed cattle and 26 weeks for housed pigs across Scotland.

We regularly hear how we have seen our wettest, coldest or hottest days, months and years since records began, and how this is rapidly becoming a feature of our changing climate which we will all need to adapt to.

These unseasonable weather events and weather extremes can add another level of complexity and disruption to routine farm activities.

Many farmers and land managers are already building resilience into their system and increasing the diversity across the business to spread risk.

Practical actions, such as improving ventilation in livestock sheds can help animals better cope with heat stress, reduce disease risks and improve profitability.

Reinstating hedges or shelterbelts can provide shelter and shade for livestock, crops and buildings, whilst also slowing wind or water action leading to erosion and flooding risk.

Additional planting can also

provide a range of food, shelter and habitats across the farm for insects and wildlife, supporting biodiversity as well as the farm business. But how many of us would say that these actions are driven partly, or fully, in response to a changing climate?

Understanding the various risks posed to your business from a range of extreme or prolonged weather events, and what the potential impacts might be, could help you consider practical measures.

The Climate Change Adaptation For Agriculture – Is your farm ready? booklet gives practical pointers and checklists that could suggest ways to help you minimise risk and disruption, prioritise actions and increase business resilience.

With our weather taking a more unpredictable turn, time spent reviewing risks and opportunities now, could pay dividends in the future. Why wait for a rainy day?

For other information and ideas about adaptation measures on the farm, and to see what other farmers have done, visit www. farmingforabetterclimate.org/adapting-to-climate-change/ find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @SACFarm4Climate.

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

75

science & technology

Solar-powered Seed-n-Weed robot with simplicity on its side A fully autonomous, solarpowered robot capable of precision drilling and weeding is set to join the OPICO line up.

Offering pesticide-free weed control with zero fuel bills, the FarmDroid is the brainchild of two Danish farmers and takes a really simple approach to how it works.

The FarmDroid uses ultraaccurate GPS to record exactly where it places each seed. Then on each subsequent weeding pass it has no need to identify what’s a weed and what’s not – it simply knows where the crop plants should be and works around them, hoes shares running between each row and blades slicing off anything between each crop plant, in the row.

This approach means that unlike other similar machines, it doesn’t need to employ banks of high-definition cameras and complex computers to identify and target weeds. It also means the machine can start the weeding process before the crop has emerged because camera recognition is not required.

Its simplicity is just one of a number of features that set the machine apart from anything else on the market.

Being solar-powered, FarmDroid owners don’t have any fuel bills for the machine.

Not only does this have a clear impact on the bottom line with today’s increasingly volatile energy markets, it’s also environmentally friendly.

In a future where food retailers are progressively looking to be perceived as ‘green’ with carbon audits becoming more and more 76

common, the FarmDroid can help provide one step towards energy self-sufficiency (and herbicide-free crop production).

With in-row and inter-row action it eliminates weeds both between the rows and between the crop plants. Capable of working right to up within 5mm of each seedling between the rows and 20mm in the row, the FarmDroid’s shares mean it does the complete job so there is no need for hand-rogueing problem weeds like fat-hen (saving c.£250/ha).

Weighing just 800kg, FarmDroid has the lightest footprint possible - good for soil health and the bottom line

- headlands aren’t run down with the result that yields are

maintained across the entire cropped area.

New sensor-to-satellite technology from Wyld delivers global connectivity for smart agriculture Wyld Networks has announced the availability of its new range of low-power, sensor-to-satellite terminals and modules that make it possible to connect agricultural sensors anywhere in the world, where there is no alternative coverage. The Wyld devices can transfer data directly to terrestrial networks or through Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites as a result of partnership with Eutelsat. With 100 percent global coverage, the new Wyld Connect solutions are ideal for applications in remote areas such as measuring soil moisture

levels, tracking livestock or monitoring greenhouse temperature changes to adjust ventilation and irrigation. The full sensor-to-satellite service will be available in the second half of 2022.

The Wyld Connect terminal can connect directly to existing agricultural sensors, while the small modules can be fully integrated into new IoT sensors as an embedded solution. By using the LoRaWAN®, low power wide area network technology, smart farming IoT applications can be deployed

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

globally using terrestrial or satellite connectivity at very low cost. Sensors can be powered by batteries with a lifetime of up to ten years. Data is delivered through Wyld’s cloud-based Fusion platform, which also allows IoT sensors to be registered, configured, authenticated and managed remotely.

“With a growing world population driving demand for food year-on-year, agriculture is under pressure to work more efficiently, productively and intelligently, amid the complex

science & technology

Integrated Land Management Plans (ILMP) challenges of climate change and more erratic weather incidents,” says Alastair Williamson, CEO at Wyld Networks. “But the smart agriculture revolution is being held back by the lack of ubiquitous global connectivity.

With an estimated 15% of the earth’s surface covered by existing cellular networks, low earth orbiting satellites provide the low-cost solution needed to catapult agricultural IoT growth around the world.”

A berry good idea – fruit growers and data scientists in landmark AI project Data scientists at the University of Aberdeen are teaming up with fruit growers to build an artificial intelligence (AI) system to forecast harvests, which could potentially save the industry millions each year.

The machine learning system for soft fruit yield forecasting is a three-year collaboration involving the University, Scotland’s innovation centre for data and AI The Data Lab, and Arbroath-based Angus Soft Fruits Ltd. It aims to better harness key information such as historical yield and weather data, weather forecasts and satellite imaging, and expert knowledge from growers, to develop algorithms that accurately forecast production and measure uncertainty.

With an estimated annual production of more than 2,900

tonnes of raspberries and 25,000 tonnes of strawberries, inaccurate yield forecasting costs Scotland’s fruit growers millions each year.

The development of an intelligent and inexpensive forecasting system could prove crucial in ensuring profitability for growers, leading to more efficiencies in sales and packing and transport planning, while enhancing their reputation with customers and limiting food waste and associated carbon emissions.

Georgios Leontidis, Director of the University’s Interdisciplinary Centre for Data and Artificial Intelligence, said: “We are delighted to team up with Angus Soft Fruits Ltd and The Data Lab in this exciting project that could prove to be a gamechanger for an industry worth millions to Scotland’s economy.

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Scottish Government has announced a series of changes to funding requirements for access to Integrated Land Management Plans (ILMP) and specialist advice support for farmers, crofters and land managers.

The changes are designed to ease access to expert business development support, making it easier for agri businesses to benefit from independent, impartial advice on potential growth opportunities and improvements.

Specialist advice funding available without need for prior ILMP Access to specialist advice support no longer requires applicants to apply for, or have completed, an ILMP, prior to accessing funding. Farming and crofting businesses can now apply directly for up to £1000 of funding for specialist advice on a range of topics, including new areas covering: • Carbon audit action implementation planning – follow up support for businesses who have received a carbon audit and need further advice and support to implement their action plan.

• Crofter’s plan – a thorough and impartial review of your business by an experienced crofting adviser, resulting in a flexible, tailored advice plan specific to the needs of your crofting business.

Free ILMPs for new entrants As part of the changes to funding, new entrants (businesses operating for 5 years or less),

can now apply for up to £1,200 of government funding to cover the full costs of an ILMP. The participating business will only need to pay the VAT element.

An ILMP is designed to provide business owners and managers with clear, practical advice on how best to achieve business goals. Independent and confidential, an adviser will work with you to explore the potential to develop competitive advantage or technical excellence in areas where the business is strong or has growth potential.

Reset of applications cap per business From 1 April, restrictions on the number of ILMPs and specialist advice reports a single business can undertake will reset. This means farming and crofting businesses who have already completed an ILMP and 2 follow on specialist advice reports, can now apply for the same level of support for a second time round. i.e. apply for a new ILMP and up to a maximum of 2 follow up specialist advice reports.

Whether you’re setting up as a new entrant or have been running an established business for many years, funding support for business development advice could help you improve operational performance and identify opportunities to grow your business further.

Take advantage of free government funding through FAS to realise your business goals.www.fas.scot/advicegrants

Article

Building a buzz: robot bees to simulate pollination

Robot bee

Two scientists from the UK and the US have been jointly awarded £640,000 to build microrobots that simulate the buzzing of bees.

Evolutionary biologist Dr Mario Vallejo-Marin, of the University of Stirling, will work with electrical engineer Dr Noah Jafferis, of the University of Massachusetts Lowell, over three years to build tiny robots that can reproduce the buzzes of pollinating bees.

Twenty-thousand plants, including tomatoes, potatoes and blueberries, depend on buzz pollination, so understanding which bees do it best, and how they do it, could improve agriculture as well as help us understand the evolution of different types of bees and flowers.

Dr Vallejo-Marin, Associate Professor in Biological and Environmental Sciences, said: “There are around 20,000 species of bee in the world, yet we know little about the function of most bee species, as we usually only think about honeybees and bumblebees. Bumblebees can buzz pollinate but honeybees cannot, and we don’t know much about thousands of other bees.

78

“A bee’s buzz shakes the pollen out of the flower but, until now, the only way to recreate that process has been with a mechanical shaker weighing 2-3 kilos. Our project transforms heavy shakers into tiny robots that more closely resemble a bee buzzing a flower. This will help us study how the bee’s characteristics affect the buzz and what types of vibrations are most effective for pollination.

“These microrobots are the size of your fingernail and weigh a quarter of a honeybee.

They will allow us to control the vibrations – their pitch, force, and timing – and simulate bees’ interactions with flowers in order to really understand how the characteristics of the bee and the buzzes affect pollination.”

The award is from the Human Frontier Science Program, which promotes international collaboration for innovative science research. Dr Jafferis had been working at Harvard University’s Microrobotics Lab on insect-inspired flying robots when he attended a seminar given by Dr Vallejo-Marin about buzz pollination, and the pair identified an opportunity to collaborate.

Dr Jafferis, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UMassLowell, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to bring together fundamental biological research and micro-robotic technology to delve into the inner workings of buzz pollination in a way that hasn’t been feasible before.

Mario Vallejo

Noah Jafferis

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

“We will also be able to develop novel, bio-inspired designs for grasping, and other complex functional behaviours, along the way.

“These experiments, together with computer simulations, will allow us to build a deeper understanding of which aspects of buzz pollination are most important for pollen release.”

Bee populations worldwide are in decline, but the researchers say their work is not to create robotic substitutes for bees, but to better understand pollination and the diversity of bee species.

“In Australia and Southern Africa, for example, they need buzz pollinating bees for pollinating some fruit crops,” said Dr Vallejo-Marin. “But bumblebees are not native there so they can’t be used in agriculture as we use them in Europe, and farmers have resorted to using electric toothbrushes to pollinate tomatoes.

“Understanding buzz pollination better could lead to stronger motivation for conserving the diversity of bees, beyond honeybees and bumblebees, as well as potentially optimising fruit and vegetable yields in agriculture.”

livestock

Data Shows Worms Pose Risk To Livestock Throughout the Year Farmers must be on their guard against parasites throughout the year, with warmer, wetter weather and fewer cold spells1 leading to changing worm patterns in livestock.

Data from the Zoetis Parasite Watch Scheme, which is now in its seventh-year monitoring worm egg counts from a network of farms across the country, has found worm patterns to be changing yearly.

What the Data is Showing In 2021, worm egg counts were low at the start of the year due to the cool, dry spring, yet in 2020, high counts were reported in many areas as early as March.

Last year, worm egg counts peaked from June onwards once the weather became warm and wet, continuing right through the summer months. The highest counts of the year occurred in September and November.

Zoetis vet Ally Anderson said: “Worms and their breeding habits are intrinsically linked to the weather because part of their lifecycle is outside the animal. This is why we are seeing a changing pattern to the worm challenge.

“Twenty years ago, it would have been unusual to see worm egg counts peaking in November, but because our seasons are less defined now, and our autumn and winters are warmer and wetter.

“Changes in grazing practices, what stock has been brought in and past treatment history can also influence worm burdens on farms,” she added.

Eurion Thomas from Techion, the manufacturers of Faecal egg count (FEC) testing kit FECPAKG2, said there has been a big change to the timing of treatments due to the changing weather patterns.

“Traditionally, farmers would treat stock based on the time of the year, with many still doing this. However, now the risk periods are not so defined, it is vital farmers treat stock based on whether they need it.

This not only helps ensure the

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

treatments are effective, but also preserves wormers, protects the immediate environment and ensures the growth from animals is maximised, which is vital for farm sustainability and also in reducing emissions from livestock.”

Deciding When to Worm Livestock Worming decisions should ideally be based on faecal egg counts (FEC) alongside growth rate data, the body condition score of animals, and a farm’s previous parasite history. Test results should also be shared with a vet or animal health advisor, who can help interpret

79

livestock the results and decide on the best treatment.

Mr Thomas added: “FEC tests should be conducted in lambs from six weeks of age when they are out at grass. If test results reveal low worm egg counts and no treatments are given, a further test should be taken two weeks later to make sure nothing is missed.

“This is because FEC tests only detect adult parasites. It can take three weeks from ingestion for the larvae to develop into adults, lay eggs and for those eggs to be excreted back into the environment in the dung.

Therefore, lambs should be regularly tested throughout the grazing season,” he said.

Ms Anderson added: “Faecal egg count tests are money well spent as they can help reduce treatment costs meaning the most suitable wormer can be used when there is a risk, reducing the resistance pressure through unnecessary treatments.”

80

AHDA launches campaign on prescribing to tackle anthelmintic resistance with five step plan

Launched internally to Registered Animal Medicines Advisors (RAMAs/SQPs) in early March, the campaign will use exclusive data obtained by AHDA through its network of 300 animal medicines distributor companies to outline key action points driving improvements in the industry.

The campaign was initially triggered by anthelmintic resistance in lambs, which is an ongoing issue within the animal health and livestock sector. The

campaign has now broadened to include endoparasites, ectoparasites and vaccines and will include all species receiving POM-VPS medicines, including equines.

“A number of key industry groups and organisations are well aware of the challenge that anthelmintic resistance poses to farmers, equine owners and, specifically, the sheep sector, and have already put in place policies and procedures to manage it,”

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

explains Bryan Lovegrove, AHDA Secretary General.

“However, we feel this is an industry challenge that needs closer attention and awareness, so over the last six months AHDA has been focussed on a project of work that has been initially looking at anthelmintic resistance and now more broadly at enhancing responsible prescribing.

“Quite simply, more work needs to be done to make a difference, or the sector is going

livestock to be in a difficult position when it comes to anthelmintic resistance.

And in our position, with the collective power and influence of our members and the support of other key organisations in the industry, we are driving this forward,” he continues.

“By involving our members, who are in direct contact with livestock and equine owners, our aim is the for the key issues surrounding the prescribing process to be addressed head on.”

AHDA has set out a number of action points to improve animal health and welfare through managing resistance. The campaign will focus on five key areas of action: • Move from verbal prescription to a mandatory written or recorded prescription • Compulsory anthelmintic resistance CPD taken within each two-year cycle for RAMAs/SQPs • Make faecal egg counting a normal and essential process in the prescribing of anthelmintics • Focus on pack sizes to ensure they meet prescribing requirements • Aim to create a specific and active animal medicine plan for each flock/herd “We have carried out some initial research, obtaining information on the number of doses of different anthelmintics sold onto farm in 2020. By looking at the current status of the industry and then its desired destination, we have set out a number of action points some of which need to be introduced sooner - with other actions and changes to be introduced over the longer term,” adds Mr Lovegrove.

“AHDA’s main purpose is to support RAMAs/SQPs in their role, working with other industry organisations and bodies to protect their right to sell and supply the range of prescription animal medicines across all sectors.

“In raising awareness of the challenges faced by those prescribing the medicines, we hope to change the attitudes and outlooks of the end users towards all elements of prescription process, which will ultimately benefit everyone in the sector.”

Quality Assurance and why it matters

By Kathryn Kerr, Head of Brands Integrity at QMS This month, revised Quality Assurance standards for cattle and sheep production will have landed on many of your doorsteps. We know that these rarely instigate feelings of excitement, but they are there to support our producers not to undermine them. With QA standards comes customers and healthy market demand.

Quality Assurance is largely driven by the consumer and, for those not selling from the farm gate, that QA logo is the way to connect with consumers, to tell them that you are producing high quality meat to high welfare standards. Consumers are increasingly expressing an interest in the way in which we run our farms and tend to our livestock, influencing their purchasing choices.

QA therefore, shouldn’t be viewed as scrutiny or an exercise to catch out farmers, but instead the opportunity to showcase our stock, build upon our relationship with our customers and maintain the farm to fork link which has been lost for too long – and with it, sales and profit.

At QMS, we are constantly keeping an eye on the markets and, from time to time, our QA needs to be revised to align with wider influences.

Currently, this is new and emerging trade deals and a transition towards a new agricultural policy outside of the EU with strong emphasis on rewarding environmental outcomes, as well as

complementing consumer trends towards conscious buying.

Quality Assurance will support businesses to become more resilient to future changes within the industry and demonstrates that our animal welfare is head and shoulders above our international competitors, our on-farm emissions are kept to a minimum and, for example, that we are listening to the science and reducing the use of antibiotics on-farm.

QA is voluntary but a sound guarantee of market access.

One of the key changes is around health planning with an annual vet visit. The further workload is on the vet, rather than the producer, and the relatively small cost incurred may be quickly recuperated with greater productivity the following season. For those already regularly engaging with their vet, the vet will know the stock and it shouldn’t be a great cost. For those who have until now reviewed their own health plan, it may highlight previously unseen opportunity to improve herd health. It’s also valuable time to have wider proactive conversations with your vet, which rarely occur when they are on your farm for an emergency.

Legal requirements are included in our standards not to create hurdles but to ensure QMS is covering legal due diligence. Ensuring compliance will give

producers peace of mind in knowing that their business is prepared for any statutory visits going forward.

There are also additional recommendations (not standards) on preparing for greater environmental transparency, as well as simplification of some of the wording and layout for greater readability.

We know the uncertainty over farming’s future over the past few years has been unsettling to many businesses, which has not been helped by mounting labour challenges, rising feed and fertiliser costs, and now a very concerning world situation. Farmers are rightfully concerned about embracing any changes which, in their view, could further threaten their bottom line. Maintaining and improving these standards should, however, be viewed as an opportunity to future proof and make our red meat businesses more resilient.

All these steps towards greater QA will not only generate brand loyalty but give our produce credibility in a future where we will have to fight above our weight in emerging trade deals as cheaper produce threatens our shores, and to prove our sustainability credentials. If we can put in the groundwork and build trust in our consumers now, it will build long-term profitability and Scotland’s farming future will be a brighter one for all.

Scotsheep

NSA Scotsheep 2022

Organised by the Scottish region of the National Sheep Association, NSA Scotsheep 2022 will be held on Wednesday 1st June 2022, at Over Finlarg, Tealing, where Robert and Hazel McNee have built up a profitable business since moving to the farm in 2011.

NSA Scotsheep 2022 will feature a farm tour, over 200 commercial, educational, sheep breed society, individual breeder and farmers market and craft stands, competitions, working demonstrations seminars, workshops, show and sale of pairs of ewe hoggs etc.

Show & sale of ewe hoggs Top-quality ewe hoggs from well-known breeders across the country will be forward for the

multi-breed show and sale of ewe hoggs conducted by United Auctions.

Nine classes will be on offer for Bluefaced Leicester, Mules, North Country Cheviot, Blackface, Suffolk, Texel, any other native breed, any other continental breed and any other cross breed, with both MV accredited and non-accredited sheep eligible for sale.

The overall championship is being sponsored by Algo,

with Harrison & Hethertington, Parkside Veterinary Group, Savills and Thorntons Law confirmed as class sponsors.

Tasked with judging the pre-sale show at 9am is United Auctions’ retired sheep auctioneer, Matt Stevenson from Gargunnock, Stirling, followed by the sale at 4pm.

If sheep cannot be uplifted by purchasers on the day, it is hoped that arrangements can be made for buyers to collect their

Blackie ewes out at tupping

82

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

purchases from the premises of the vendor within 14 days.

Fencing competition Fencing contractors will put their skills to the test, when they compete in a competition sponsored by Tornado Wire and James Jones and Sons Timber.

Eight two-man teams will be tasked with erecting a section of high tensile stock netting (60-70 metres in length), with two end straining posts and a slight turn

Scotsheep towards one end within the three hours allocated.

The competition begins at 10.30am and finishes at 1.30pm, with the prize giving and award ceremony taking place at 3.30pm on the main stage in the seminar building.

Next Generation Shepherd of the Year competition Scottish sheep enthusiasts under the age of 26 will compete in this year’s NSA Next Generation Shepherd of the Year competition, which offers a total prize fund of £1015.

The competition, sponsored by the British Texel Sheep Society, will take place on Tuesday, May 31 at Huntingfaulds Farm, Tealing, Dundee, DD4 0RB, nearby to NSA Scotsheep 2022 host farm, Over Finlarg.

Participants will be required to carry out five of six tasks to include prime lamb selection, shearing two sheep, ATV handling, sheepdog handling, demonstrate knowledge of foot care techniques (compulsory) and answer questions on flock management and health (compulsory).

The competition will commence at 1pm and the presentation of prizes will take place at 3.30pm the following day.

North Country Cheviot stock ewes

A number of seminars and workshops will take place throughout the day at NSA Scotsheep 2022, focusing on an array of topics from combating climate change to the power of social media within the agricultural industry.

Seminars The first seminar “Decision Making on Flock Health

Treatments” will take place from 10.45am-11.50am, when chaired by Ian Duncan Millar MBE, a farmer and past chair of The Mordun Foundation.

Mr Millar will be accompanied by four panellists, Dr Stewart Burgess of the Moredun Research Institute, an MSD Animal Health representative, Rheinallt (Reggie) Jones from the University of Glasgow

Bluefaced L.eicester and lambs

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

and Harbro Ltd, and Dr Philip Skuce, Principal Scientist in Parasitology, Moredun Resarch Institute.

Following on from 12.30pm12.50pm, will be “The Scotch Lamb Label and delivering for climate conscious consumers” featuring Kate Rowell, chair of QMS, sheep farmer and vet, who will be joined by QMS new chief executive, Sarah Millar to showcase just some of the activities QMS have planned over the next 12 months.

They will discuss how quality assurance can help farmers meet the challenges of net zero and demonstrate to consumers what farmers are doing to help reduce climate change.

Brian Richardson, UK head of agriculture for event sponsor Virgin Money, will chair “Carbon – Understanding the journey to net zero – The journey for farmers to a Net Zero future and turning the challenge to opportunity” from 1.00pm-2.00pm. Mr Richardson will be joined by Simon Haley, director and founder of Carbon Metrics Limited, Helen Dent, director of Carbon Metrics Limited and event host farmer, Robert McNee. Rounding off the seminar programme at 2.05pm83

Scotsheep 3.05pm, will be “Foot on the Farming Ladder” with Ian Davidson, independent advisor to the Scottish Land Matching Service, chairing the topic and giving a view and summary of how the service can help. The three panellists will include Andrew Merchant, Clonhie Farm, Penpont, Dumfriesshire, Robert Rennie, Attonburn Farm, Yetholm, Kelso, and Stephen Buchan, regional head of agriculture for Virgin Money.

Workshops Each workshop is between 15 and 20 minutes long and will be repeated in the morning and afternoon.

“Breeding sheep fit for purpose and building trust” Dr Janet Roden, a geneticist from Innovis and Dewi Jones, chief executive officer for Innovis.

Dr Janet Roden will show how data is collected and explain how to select traits such as ewe efficiency, mothering ability, lamb survival and the important of easy lambing and growth rate in terminal sires.

The important of selection pressure in a commercial farm environment will be explained and the relevance of estimated breeding values when buying rams.

Dewi Jones, chief executive officer for Innovis, will explain the important of building trust and investing in long term relationships between ram breeders and customers.

“Make your mistakes work for you” Eilidh Corr (QMS) and Tim Geraghty (SRUC Vet Services Aberdeen) Looking at how we can capitalise on mistakes and avoid them in the future by taking a dynamic approach to health planning.

“The power of social media” Cammy Wilson, The Sheep Game and sheep farmer based in Ayrshire, will discuss his own successes with social media.

84

McNee family with Carol McLaren from RSABI

“Making more from grass is the way forward for costeffective farm businesses” Poppy Frater, SAC, will discuss the principles of grassland management to demonstrate how to maximise the grazing potential on your farm.

“Important of understanding forage mineral and trace element levels on your farm” James Ireland, North UK Sales Manager at Agri Lloyd “Farming in a reduced antibiotic world” James Ireland, North UK Sales Manager at Agri Lloyd “Sheep scab- updates and best practice treatment” Join Neil Fell, mobile sheep dipper and Rachel Mallet of Bimeda, will give an update on sheep scab disease and a review of best practice treatment approaches followed by Q&A. “Improved insights, better results, more profit.”

Emma Buckby, Head of Marketing, AgriWebb UK (based on a hill farm in the Cheviots) looks at a case study of how implementing easy-to-collect

farm data can transform decisionmaking to uncover powerful insights and improved yields, whilst making compliance easier.

Meet your hosts for 2022 Husband and wife farming duo Robert and Hazel McNee from Over Finlarg, Tealing, Dundee, are in the midst of preparing to host one of Scotland’s leading agricultural events - NSA Scotsheep 2022 - due to take place on Wednesday, June 1.

The couple, along with their young family of Kate and Alan, are well-known producers of topquality cattle and sheep sold the length and breadth of the UK, commanding strong prices in the sale ring for pedigree bulls and breeding sheep.

After three enforced cancellations and several plans put on hold due to COVID-19, the family, along with NSA Scotland and the organising committee, are delighted to welcome visitors to the event sponsored by Virgin Money.

Event chairman, Willy Millar, who farms at Huntingfaulds, Tealing, said Scotsheep promises to be a fantastic, informative day out with a packed programme of events in place.

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

“Over Finlarg is in a great location and will be an interest to all involved in the agricultural sector. We look forward to welcoming you all to this major Scottish farming event.”

The farm is situated close to Dundee on the A90 Dundee to Forfar road and has been home to the McNee family since 2011.

Since purchasing the farm, Robert and Hazel have made several improvements to the 740-acre unit, whether it be new farm buildings, fencing, lime spreading or drainage work, while also building up a herd of 200 suckler cows and a flock of 1100 breeding sheep.

Rising from 800ft above sea level, right up to 1200ft on the hill, half of the farm is ploughable but is mainly used for grazing, apart from producing 75 acres of cereals and 25 acres of turnips. The couple also rent a further 40 acres of grass from a neighbouring farmer, as well as a 400-acre heather hill.

Visitors will be able to enjoy the spectacular views from the hill during the farm tour at Scotsheep, while enjoying an Ogilvy award winning vodka from the nearby Ogilvy on-farm distillery.

Scotsheep Around 600 North Country Cheviot Lairg-type ewes run alongside 200 Blackfaces, 60 Texels and 40 traditional and crossing type Bluefaced Leicesters, with an additional 200 home-bred Texel cross and Mule ewe hoggs tupped to the Beltex to sell as hoggs with lambs at foot.

While these units have topped at £230 when sold through United Auctions’ Stirling Centre, it’s the sale of 260 Cheviot Mule gimmers at Longtown and Forfar which the couple have really smashed the records with. They produced a new centre record in 2021 at Longtown, when they sold a pen for £232 per head.

All North Country Cheviot gimmers and 100 of the best NCC stock ewes are tupped to Auldallan tups, hired from Robert and Hazel’s brother inlaw Bob Adam, Newhouse of Glamis, to produce home-bred replacements, with Blackface gimmers also bred pure for easy lambing.

The remaining Blackfaces go to the crossing type Bluefaced Leicster to produce Scotch Mules.

Pure Texel and Bluefaced Leicester ewes produce tup lambs which the duo use as tup lambs at home first, before selling them the following year as shearlings through Stirling, Huntly, Dingwall and Forfar.

Texel shearlings regularly average £1000 per head, with Bluefaced Leicester tups hitting a top of £1700.

Lambs which don’t make the cut for breeding, are finished and sold deadweight to Scotbeef, with the first lot away by the end of September and the last sold by mid-March.

Robert and Hazel aim to get most of the lambs finished off grass but turnips are used for wintering.

The beef suckler cow herd includes pedigree Limousins, Luings, Simmentals and Charolais, with 60 Limousins run under the Westhall prefix and 120 pedigree Luings kept in the Finlarg herd.

Around 25 bulls are sold for breeding each year, with Luings

Alistair McCarthy and Jodie Jackson

having sold to a top of 18,000gns for Finlarg Warrior at Castle Douglas in 2019, and Limousins to 11,500gns at Stirling.

Kate and Alan have already been enjoying five-figure sales with their own 15-cow Finlarg Simmental herd, having sold a bull at Stirling to 10,000gns. The

small herd of Charolais is also getting going although Robert comments that they may be more of a hobby, rather than an enterprise likely to be expanded.

Bulls not suitable for breeding are sold entire and are fed and finished on a high energy diet based on home-grown barley and wheat. They are sold to

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

ABP Perth and the aim is 1kg of carcase weight per day which is already being achieved by the top performing bulls.

Calving takes place mainly in the spring months, with Luings calving down from the end of March onwards and Limousins calving throughout May/June and November/December.

85

Scotsheep Stock bulls to make a stamp on the individual herds include Benhar Lennox for the Luings and Westhall Jammy for the Limousins, which has bred some of the top priced Limousins in recent years. The Newhouse herd will have a son of Jammy on show at Scotsheep.

Although there aren’t many Simmentals at Over Finlarg, Team Drambuie, purchased from Robert MacGregor, has been an influential breeder, with a homebred son retained in the herd.

Only Simmental females have been bought in recently including one from the Mendick dispersal and two heifers from Kilbride Farm Simmentals online sale.

Brother in-law Bob Adam, takes care of the sowing and harvesting, while Robert carries out only the ploughing and spraying himself, resulting in the farm’s investment in machinery being kept minimal.

86

The business employs one full-time member of staff Alistair McCarthy, who hails from Caithness, as well as local girl Jody Jackson, who is working at Over Finlarg during the lambing period and on the run up to Scotsheep.

From one of our magazine advertisers: Shearwell Data Limited is proud to be a Mainline Sponsor of Scotsheep 2022.

Shearwell provide a complete system for livestock farmers - animal identification, EID readers, management software and handling systems. All our products are trialled on our farms to ensure quality, reliability, and ease of use for livestock farmers.

Venue Over Finlarg Farm, Tealing, Dundee, Angus DD4 0QE Date Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Opening time 9am to 5pm How to find Over Finlarg Over Finlarg is situated in Angus, just north of the village of Tealing, nestled at the foot of the Sidlaw Hills on the A928 (Dundee to Glamis Road).

It is just six miles north of the city of Dundee and seven miles south of Forfar.

For those visitors coming from Angus and the north-east of Scotland, we would recommend that you come off the A90 onto the A94 at Forfar and when you get to Glamis, take the A928 to Dundee.

Those coming from the south, should use the A90 north to Forfar from Dundee and turn left onto the A928 signposted for Glamis.

Please follow the yellow directional signs to NSA Scotsheep as you get closer to Tealing.

Dogs Only dogs assisted will be permitted

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Disabled facilities, toilets & First Aid Disabled car parking and toilets are available on site, and qualified first aid staff will be available at the event.

Ladies and gents toilets available.

Food Country Refreshments will be serving hot food including “Scotch Lamb” rolls from mobile units.

Asher’s ice-cream vans and a licenced bar will also feature.

Cash machine and public telephone Not available. Mobile reception is good.

Admission Adults £20 NSA members £10 Children under 16 go FREE Group bookings of more than 10 booked and paid for in advance with the organiser £12 International visitor tickets are free and are available by contacting the organiser in advance

sheep Farmer-led research disproves red clover fears on sheep fertility Farmers leading research into red clover are proving that the nitrogen-fixing plant can benefit farm businesses and the environment without impacting sheep fertility.

The four farmers, who are working with ADAS in an Innovative Farmers field lab, have found grazing ewes on herbal leys containing the legume can even have a positive effect on pregnancy rates.

The group hope to inspire others to reap the benefits from growing red clover by challenging and updating 50-year-old research from Australia and New Zealand.

This older research found fertility can be impacted when

ewes are grazed exclusively on red clover, as the plant contains phyto-oestrogens.

But this winter these farmers, based in the West Midlands and Powys, grazed their sheep on herbal leys with an average of 17.6% red clover -resulting in positive rather than negative impacts.

Triallist Marc Jones, who farms sheep and beef cattle across 700 acres in Powys, said: “We’ve been putting ewes on leys with red clover for six or seven years now and although we’ve never seen any negative impacts, we wanted to have some evidence to back it up.

“A lot of farmers are hesitant about giving it a go, but the

original research was done so long ago and with ewes grazing pure red clover, which is not how we use it.

“We’ve been able to prove that growing it alongside other herbs and legumes does have higher digestibility for the ewes, without impacting pregnancy

scanning rates. It’s a good technique for flushing the sheep and for finishing lambs – and young cattle also do well on it.

“We do different tests and trials every year but putting some figures to it with research done on real farms makes a huge difference.”

NETHERTON TRACTORS ARE PLEASED TO OFFER THE FULL RANGE FROM NUGENT TRAILERS

• • • • • • • •

PLANT TRAILERS FLATBED TRAILERS HORSE TRAILERS INCLINE TRAILERS BEAVERTAIL TRAILERS GENERAL PURPOSE TRAILERS TIPPER TRAILERS UTILITY TRAILERS

• BESPOKE TRAILERS • LIVESTOCK TRAILERS • QUAD TRAILERS

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

87

sheep Survey launched to understand impact of the rise in Schmallenberg virus on 2022 lambing season As the UK experiences a phase of heightened Schmallenberg Virus (SBV) risk, a new survey is now open for vet students on lambing placement to identify the prevalence of deformed lambs, which is an indicator of presence of SBV across the UK. Launched by Ruminant Health and Welfare (RH&W) with the support of a number of UK vet colleges, the group has worked with its members, including the National Sheep Association (NSA), Sheep Veterinary Society (SVS) and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) to

identify if SBV impacts lambing 2022.

“SBV is a relatively new disease to the UK, first identified in 2012-13, and is transmitted by biting midges. Often the first physical impact of SBV in sheep is lamb deformities at birth and we believe that the knowledge from the survey can increase understanding of both the epidemiology and potential management of this virus,” explains Nigel Miller, RH&W chair.

“As studies reveal that UK flocks are predicted to be entering a phase of increased risk, we’re

We look forward to seeing you at Scotsheep

88

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

sheep grateful for the support from host farms to help us work with a new generation of vet students during their lambing placements. We are asking them to capture data on deformities seen in lambs over the lambing period which will provide evidence for the spread of SBV, and will offer a key insight of the national picture on SBV at a county level.”

The online survey closes on 16 May 2022, with students

asked to complete it as soon as possible after the end of their placement. Once all data is collected and interpreted, a report will be produced and shared with vet students, host farms, and the wider industry in early summer.

For any questions or feedback, please do not hesitate to get in touch by emailing RH&W directly viasecretary@ruminanthw.org. uk.

Data drives performance on Scotch sheep farm of the year Data is at the heart of every business decision made by this year’s Scottish Sheep Farm of the Year, which is helping to drive performance and long-term sustainability.

Livestock Manager Owen Gray and the team carefully record ewe and lamb performance, allowing them to identify the best stock and select accordingly.

Their ultimate aim is to reduce shepherding reliance, maintain scanning, maximise growth rates and reduce days to slaughter at Saughland Farm in The Lothians.

“Recording at lambing flagged up that the previous breed was having a high birthweight and lacking in mothering ability, causing lambs to get stuck and ewes to leave lambs after birth. This made us move to the Romneys,” Mr Gray explains. Consequently, ewes have now been crossed with a New Zealand Romney.

Performance recording Lambing assistance, mothering instinct, eight week weight and monthly weight gain thereafter are also recorded with the best 600 ewe lambs put to the tup. Only in-lamb ewe lambs are retained for the ‘A flock’ to produce replacements, whilst empty individuals are finished. This helps to breed fertility.

A ‘B flock’ includes ‘demoted’ ewes from the ‘A flock’, such as those that have singles more than twice in a 90

lifetime or any other production impacting problems. These are put to a terminal sire.

Mr Gray believes recording is an essential tool for the industry, with both himself and Farm Manager, Ben McClymont passionate about knowledge transfer to the wider industry. “One of our main aims is to show the wider agricultural community the benefits of Signet Recording, using Signet recorded rams and, at the very least, the benefits of removing the poor performers from the flock,” Mr Gray says.

With the view of reducing disease risk from buying in terminal tups and producing a terminal sire to suit their system, the team has recently started a high EBV Suffolk flock.

Mr Gray explains: “Our main aim in the Suffolks is to run them commercially, being quite hard on them and breeding something that doesn’t compromise growth or carcasses quality and with the need for shepherding intervention to be minimal. We will monitor that through CT scanning, Signet recording, and performance based decisions.”

Selecting their own tups fits with their drive to achieve a faster slaughter, which will ultimately help lower their carbon footprint.

Mr McClymont adds: “As a management team it’s something we’ll be making more of. We’re currently working through our own carbon audit to set our own goals.”

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

It’s all about the young folk!

By Grace Reid, NSA Scottish Region Coordinator

Whilst sheep are a fantastic way of providing a start in the world of agriculture, it is increasingly important to ensure that the enthusiasm and passion of the younger generation are not completely extinguished by the harsh realities of farming. NSA have long been supporters of young people in the sheep industry and since 2014 has invested in young shepherds across the UK via its Next Generation ambassador programme.

This is no different in 2022, whereby two Scottish ambassadors (from a total of 13) were selected to develop skills, confidence and improve communication and leadership roles. NSA Scotland are pleased to welcome Perry Parkinson (Shepherd, SRUC Barony) and Karyn McArthur (Selfemployed Shepherd and Innovis Technical Sales Adviser) to the programme and are delighted to see their enthusiasm and increasing involvement towards NSA Scotland activities.

Another one of the latest offerings for anyone aged under 35 (who works with their own sheep, is on a family farm, employed as

a shepherd or is in a share farming agreement) is the opportunity to apply for up to three hours of professional advice and mentoring to support their sheep farming businesses. This comes as part of a celebration of the first anniversary of the register of Sheep Adviser’s (RoSA). The NSA Samuel Wharry Travel Bursary will also be open in 2022. Make sure you head to the NSA website to take up these fantastic opportunities.

We appreciate it isn’t always easy in the sheep industry when starting out (or being fully established) but we are always looking to help those where we can. If you are a member please do get in touch and let us know if there are any issues in your area needing addressed.

The only question left to ask is – how else can YOU get involved?

Finally, after such a long time away due to various factors (not mentioning the “C” word…) we are gearing up for NSA Scotsheep 2022 and the Royal Highland Show. We look forward to seeing everyone there and make sure to keep an eye out for updates closer to the time.

pigs

Project to reproduce sociable pigs

A new study will look at how positive forms of social interaction in pigs can benefit welfare An innovative project will look at whether the social competence of pigs – and in turn their welfare – can be improved through management and breeding.

Social competence covers the range of decisions an animal makes in different social situations – such as whether to fight or flee or play or not.

Traditionally, the effects of these social decisions have been studied in isolation but in the real world they are likely to combine to influence the animal’s welfare.

For the first time, a study led by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), will use the idea of social competence, and whether it can be passed from one generation to another, to try to improve animal welfare.

The research, which will be carried out in collaboration with the School of Biological Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast and the Pig Improvement Company, will focus on pigs, which have complex social lives involving a range of positive

and negative forms of social interaction.

The negative forms of interaction reduce their welfare and their economic productivity, as well as increasing their environmental footprint, as animals use energy from food to fuel undesirable behaviours.

However, little is known about how the positive forms of interaction - such as social play and grooming - benefit their welfare.

This project will be a major step towards understanding these benefits by exploring how decisions made in a wide range of social situations relevant to modern farming environments combine to influence overall welfare.

It will test how social competence is influenced by the social environment the animals experience early in life and by the complexity of the physical environment.

The researchers will also examine whether choosing socially competent animals to be the parents of the next generation

will simultaneously benefit their productivity as well as their welfare.

Lead researcher Simon Turner said: “This will be the first study to apply the idea of overall social competence to improve animal welfare.

“We will also study for the first time whether it is possible to increase expression of these positive behaviours through careful choice of which animals to breed.

“Our aim is to benefit animal welfare while simultaneously

supporting farmers to produce animals that are profitable to their business and need less food to grow well, thereby benefiting the environmental footprint of farming.

“Pigs, and other species, show social behaviours that are difficult to improve when we look at these behaviours as isolated phenomena. We expect that, by taking a higher-level approach, we can favour animals that have the social skills to navigate a wide range of social situations.”

Interactive Vaccine Planner Launched for Pig Vets

A new interactive tool has been launched for pig vets to help simplify the vaccination planning process and healthcare procedures.

The Porcilis Health Management (PHM) planner has been launched by MSD Animal Health UK, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA, to help vets guide and advise farmers on pig health and husbandry.

“This is the first-of-itskind digital health and vaccine

planner for pig production, covering all stages from piglets to sows and boars,” explains Samantha Carmichael, veterinary key account manager at MSD Animal Health UK. “At a time when the agricultural industry will be recognised and rewarded for its commitment to improving animal health, this tool can be used to show what preventative health measures farms are undertaking while also fostering

more efficient livestock production.”

Features of the planner include the ability to create a unique health programme for each farm and schedule vaccinations. The planner can be saved, downloaded and printed for each production stage facilitating easy communication between vets and farm production teams.

“As well as providing a plan for vaccinations, the planner

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

also grants access to information relating to the Porcilis range of vaccines to support decisions on what to use and when.

“This can help veterinary professionals make an informed choice on what will be suitable for the particular farm, helping farmers to optimise pig performance,” adds Mrs Carmichael.

For more information, contact your MSD Animal Health account manager.

91

dairy Virgin Money supports Stranraer dairy farmers, the Love family, with their new project to pasteurise their own milk Virgin Money has helped the Love family, based at Bridge of Aird Farm, on the edge of Stranraer, to diversify their dairy business. They plan to move production in-house and sell some of their milk directly to locals, thus cutting out the middleman and increasing their profits. Virgin Money has provided them with funding to build the shed for the new pasteurising unit.

Andrew and Christine Love and their daughter Kayleigh run a herd of 130 pedigree Holstein Friesian cows, at the ‘Wee Aird’, as the farm is locally known.

Along with many other farmers, they were keen to diversify and increase margins, but they did not want to increase their herd. Instead, they decided they wanted to start supplying local people and businesses with fresh, pasteurised, unhomogenised milk in glass bottles.

With ever more pressure on farmers to reduce carbon emissions and help the UK reach Net Zero by 2050, the Loves were keen to ensure they were environmentally sustainable as well as profitable. With their new pasteurising unit, they will be able to deliver milk straight to the doorsteps of their neighbours.

Part of the project was to buy vending machines, where customers can purchase a branded “Love Milk”, re-usable glass bottle. They can also add a shot of different flavours such as lime or strawberry. By providing milk direct to consumers less transport is required, and the use of plastic bottles reduced. This means lower haulage costs and increased profit margins, as they can cut out the processor and retailer – so a win win situation!

“We are delighted to have facilitated this project,” 92

said Anne Howatson, their Relationship Manager. “The Loves were a pleasure to work with and their fresh pasteurised milk is simply delicious. It is

just the sort of project that Virgin Money likes to be involved with.

The family knew what they wanted to achieve, had a clear strategy to get there and like us,

have a keen interest in improving the environment. I am blown away by what they have already done. Let’s hope, like cream, their business will always rise!”

‘DEFRA Farm Innovation’ research explores alternative approach to reducing slurry ammonia emissions

Envirosystems UK is working hard to deliver a cost-effective biological solution for dairy farmers’ slurry ahead of ammonia reduction targets due to come in 2027. Biochemist Dr Henry Russell from Envirosystems presented the progress to-date of their DEFRAsponsored research project which started in August 2021.

The audience heard how Envirosystems aims to boost

a naturally occurring nitrogen pathway in slurry by adding a next generation SlurryBugs® using auto-dosing technology.

This will have the dual benefit of reducing ammonia emissions whilst also increasing the nitrogen value of slurry, thus saving on costly inorganic fertiliser.

So far, in collaboration with Myerscough College, they

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

have successfully achieved the experimental setup and have ongoing lab-scale and mini-farm scale trials, giving what they believe to be the most comprehensive ongoing biological slurry treatment study in the UK. The project is due to be completed in March 2023 and Envirosystems will continue to disseminate findings along the way.

dairy Look to high component genetics to take advantage of premiums

Cogent Breeding is urging breeders to focus on high component genetics to maximise premiums available in milk contracts.

2021 proof runs saw Cogent sires repeatedly soar to the top of the rankings on a number of fronts, providing a wide range of sires for producers who are breeding for high fat and protein to meet the needs of their milk contract.

Milk buyers have been increasingly rewarding components over the last few years and, according to the AHDB, as much as 60% of milk production is now paid for on a constituents basis, compared to only 42% in 2015. Global demand for solids is also on the

rise so, depending on the milk buyer, focussing on increasing milk solids is likely to be a positive long-term business decision.

Additionally, AHDB analysis of the 2020/21 season shows over 40% of milk destined for the liquid market and 55% for manufacturing fell below target butterfat levels, resulting in farmers missing out on £38 million of additional income.

A further £17 million was lost by the 64% of farmers on manufacturing contracts whose protein levels fell short.

“Manufacturers usually pay for milk delivered above a base value of 3.4% for protein, which, in some contracts, and at current payment rates, could add up to

a considerable figure. Not only is it important that producers do not miss out on premiums in the short term, but long-term breeding decisions, and the use of extreme bulls could provide

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

considerable advantages to your herd,” explains Andrew Holliday, Genetics Manager for Cogent.

Cogent advises that selection of bulls with plus-percentage

93

dairy increases in butterfat and protein is absolutely essential, while breeding from high-solids cows is also a good idea, provided they are correct conformationally and you know the quality of the milk they produce.

“At 68% heritability, Fat and Protein percentages are the two

Make Milk the Number one choice

By Stuart Martin, Scottish Dairy Hub Manager The promotion of milk and dairy products with consumers will come to a crescendo on June 1st on World Milk Day. In 2001, World Milk Day was established by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations to recognize the importance of milk as a global food, and to celebrate the dairy sector.

Each year since, the benefits of milk and dairy products have been actively promoted around the world.

The 2021 World Milk Day campaign was a huge success and through all the support and efforts #WorldMilkDay created 1.38 billion impressions, the global campaign (including #EnjoyDairy plus 17 translations and local hashtags) reached 369 million impressions, with 199,295 posts using the hashtag #WorldMilkDay The 2022 World Milk Day theme will highlight the work being done to accelerate climate action and help reduce the sector’s impact on the planet and aim to raise awareness of the messaging and action towards Dairy Net Zero.

This is a great opportunity for us all to get positively involved, not only this year, but in the future. How you can do this can be found at https:// worldmilkday.org/ We all know that milk and dairy products, such as cheese and yoghurt, are great sources of protein and calcium, and they can form part of a healthy, balanced diet, so it is important we all use this initiative to shout about these positivities from the roof tops. Data released earlier this year highlighted supermarket sales of all dairy products remain higher than they were pre-pandemic, with an extra 302 million litres of milk bought last year compared to 2019.

For all year-round positive messaging, I would also urge all users on twitter to follow @ dairyuk who put so many upbeat tweets out about the benefits of consuming dairy products.

A lot of the information can be found on the Dairy UK website which is an excellent resource in featuring the key benefits of dairy and presenting the industry in a positive light.

Happy World Milk Day

The SCOTTISH DAIRY HUB offers dairy farmers and service providers a free signposting service connecting the dairy sector throughout Scotland. Visit our website to view all the latest information on our noticeboard and events page www.scottishdairyhub.org.uk Tel: 03454 755110 Mob: 07500 766083 Email: lnfo@scottishdairyhub.org.uk

most heritable traits you can select for,” Andrew explains. “If you are paid for components in your milk contract, you should be looking to high fat and protein bulls in your breeding decisions, and we are delighted to have a phenomenal range of bulls that offer just that.”

How calving at 22-months-old is saving a Cheshire dairy herd £270 a heifer

Dairy farmers can help save costs on their farm by bringing down their age at first calving by measuring, monitoring and acting on data, visitors to a recent Women in Dairy meeting in Cheshire heard.

Karen Halton of Halton Farms, Dairy Industry Woman of the Year 2020, explained how a change in focus on their farm to calve 90% of heifers at 22 months had resulted in a saving of £270 a heifer.

Two years ago, the farm was averaging heifers calving at 22 months. But when Karen and her vet Mark Hickinson of Sandstone Vets looked at the range, some were calving at 20 months and others at 27 months.

This changed how the farm used data, focusing on ranges rather than averages. Karen said: “Using averages didn’t feel like truthful data. So, over the last 1.5 years, we have backed off a bit, and now we have nothing calving outside of 24 months.

We now aim to have 90% of heifers calving by 22 months.”

Kath Aplin, from WID national sponsor Boehringer, says it is important that farmers start by setting targets that are achievable and relevant to their individual farm situation. “Set yourself a timeframe in which to achieve these targets. You’ve got to start with your cow’s mature body weight and work backwards. You’ve then got to

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

dairy do something with that data,” she said.

To work out youngstock targets, you can: 1. Work out the mature bodyweight of your cows 2. Calculate 90% of the mature bodyweight, which is the target weight to calve cows down at 24 months 3. Calculate 60% of the mature bodyweight, which is the target weight for serving cows at 13 months old 4. Calculate the target growth rate from birth to service. You can do this by deducting the birth weight from the service weight and dividing it by 400 days 5. Calculate weaning weight Bulling at the right weight and calving down at 22 months has saved Halton Farms money, with each heifer going through the system costing £270 less.

This saving is coming from: • Improved maiden heifer

• • • •

fertility. On average, only 1.2 straws of semen are needed compared to 2.2 before Reducing the number of days to first calving Heifer milk yield maintained – 10,500l in a 305-day lactation First lactation fertility improved- 100-day in calf rate at 100% First lactation culling rate for fertility reduced- three years ago it was 10-15% now it’s a 0%

To achieve such targets, attention to detail by every staff member is paramount. Karen’s philosophy is that if she were to get run over by a bus tomorrow, the calves would never know, with every team member able to perform the job correctly. This means protocols are in place at every stage in calves’ life. Karen said:” You’ve got a six-week window to grow calves, and you can’t get that back. This means there is no compromise for that six weeks.”

One-stop-shop training platform to maximise herd health and business performance A unique training hub, which aims to equip farmers with the skills and knowledge they require to optimise herd health and business performance, is now available.

FarmIQ has been launched

by VetPartners to help farmers navigate this period of rapid change that the industry is experiencing.

Farmers are

striving to continue to progress and remain profitable in the face of a new policy and support framework, rising input costs and an increased focus on sustainability. The platform raises the quality of online, hybrid and in-person training opportunities available to farmers looking to improve their businesses.

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

crofting

Crofting Law Reform Back On The Agenda

By Patrick Krause, Chief Executive, Scottish Crofting Federation It has been confirmed by the Scottish Government that work is to start imminently to ensure a Crofting Reform Bill is passed in the course of this parliament.

Think of crofting law as an overgrown garden – there is actually very good substance underneath the brambles. It was recognised back in 1998 that the law needed remedial work and since then there has been a series of amendments. Some helped but some added problems, so more had to try to then plaster over the damage. It is an impenetrable thicket now, in need of branch and stem pruning.

In the last term of Scottish Government, a serious attempt was made to do this and it got close to a draft bill, but was dropped due to all legislation teams being put on to preparing for Brexit.

The approach is to write up the 30 or so amendments already identified as essential, plus some that need more work. There are also recommended revisions from the Scottish Law Society research work which took place in the intervening

period and, a win for the SCF ‘Access to Crofts’ campaign, the Crofting Commission has been asked by Scottish Government to generate a list of amendments that they need to enable them to discharge their duties effectively.

When all the amendments have been made and passed into law, and the law is used for a while, given its test run, a consolidation bill is required to bring all the amending acts together in one act (last done in 1994).

So there is still a way to go until we enjoy a stroll in a well-tended garden.

Meanwhile, the Crofting Commission is getting additional staff and will now be able to put more resource into the Regulation and Land Use team and so use the existing legislation more effectively. It is clear from recent SCF village hall meetings that crofters want the commission to regulate well and to free up unused crofts for new entrants.

If you have concerns or just want to chat about crofting, come and talk to us at the Royal Highland Show.

www.crofting.org

dairy Dr Tim Potter, training consultant at VetPartners, explains that sustained improvements to farm businesses are achieved through a holistic approach, focusing on everything from soil health to team management.

“Continued learning is key to optimising dairy herd performance. The platform is a one-stop-shop for farmers looking for training opportunities, either for themselves or their team,” he says.

“In dairy, herd performance and profitability are determined by a broad range of factors.

Healthy soil and optimal grazing management will provide the right micronutrients to cows through quality swords and

homegrown forage.

While having a coherent team working together who understand how their responsibilities contribute to the farm’s business aims, also results in improvements to livestock health, welfare and ultimately profitability.”

Between 2011 and 2021, average herd size increased by 22%, with yields increasing by 7% during the same time period[1].

“Larger and more productive dairy herds require increasing levels of attention to detail to optimise performance. And that is on top of other aspects of farm business management changing, with the Basic Payments Scheme (BPS) being phased out and replaced with incentives which provide public money for public

goods. Together, these changes mean farmers and their teams need to know more detail about more areas to make the most of their businesses.

“FarmIQ provides flexible training options for any farmer looking to brush up on their skills as the industry changes rapidly,” says Dr Potter.

He particularly recommends the ‘Why sustainability is important?’ online course, which covers why it is important to work with your farm vet to identify solutions which benefit your livestock, your farm business and the environment simultaneously.

In addition to the on-farm benefits of training, an increasing number of retailers, milk contracts and assurance schemes

are now requiring evidence of training.

“The ‘Responsible use of medicines’ course is Red Tractor approved and can therefore be used as evidence for assurance assessments,” says Mr Potter.

The courses on FarmIQ are available to any farmer, there is no need to be registered with a VetPartners practice.

“New courses will be added as content is developed by Kingshay, VetPartners farm practices and guest trainers, so it is worth checking regularly to see the training options available which could contribute towards continued improvement in your farm business,” concludes Dr Potter.

To see a full list of available courses, visit https://farmiq. co.uk/.

Mild winter presents increased fly risk

With exceptionally mild temperatures recorded over the winter1, dairy farmers must be alert to increased fly populations this spring, and the negative impact this could have on their herd.

To protect herd productivity and welfare, taking early action on fly control is vital, says Dr. Paul Williams, MSD Animal Health Technical Manager for Ruminants.

“Fly nuisance causes distress and restlessness to herds, reducing eating time and consequently milk yield by up to 30%2. Flies can also transmit diseases such as summer mastitis later in the year3.

“The relatively mild winter has meant that spring fly populations could be higher

than usual, posing an issue to livestock earlier in the year4.

“If left untreated during spring, further generations of eggs will start hatching as temperatures rise over ten degrees celcius, causing an even bigger problem by summer2.

Taking action now will help to minimise the threat of fly nuisance, and the risk of reduced herd performance, says Dr. Williams.

“I recommend that farmers can get on top of fly populations with BUTOX® SWISH – no cattle pour-on lasts longer for fly control.

“The pour-on suspension offers 8 to 10 weeks of fly control, meaning fewer applications throughout the season and less handling of cows. There is no

withdrawal period for milk, therefore no break in production is needed*.

“For the best result, it is important to start treating the herd as soon as the risk period occurs. If you wait until fly

numbers are visually obvious, it may be too late.

To protect herd health, welfare and productivity this summer, act early and talk to your vet about potential treatment options.

Cost control - Are your cows milking it?

With soaring input costs threatening the bottom line of many businesses, farmers are reminded that every cow in the milking herd must be able to justify her position.

SAC Consulting is encouraging farmers to take a targeted approach to rising 96

fertiliser and feed costs and is offering practical advice on important steps that can be taken to improve margins in the dairy herd.

With the cost of fertiliser at an all-time high and ammonium nitrate at £1000/T, Senior Dairy

Consultant Lorna MacPherson, reflected that many farmers may be saying they can’t afford to use it, but stressed that they should ask themselves, ‘can they afford not to’?

“As tempting as it will be to cut back on fertiliser use,

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

make sure you closely evaluate what the impact down the line might be if you have less silage next winter. Forward planning on silage carryover stocks and winter demand based on livestock numbers can help plan how much silage you need to make.

dairy “Applying less nitrogen and no sulphur could also affect the protein content of silage, increasing requirements for bought-in protein concentrates during the winterfeeding period. Sulphur addition could raise the silage protein content by as much as 2% points.”

Turning to managing feed costs, she suggested that rather than cutting back on expensive concentrates, farmers should look at where improvements in efficiency can be made.

“Every cow in the milking herd must be able to justify her position. Are there cows over 300 days in milk, that are not in calf? Or are they not producing enough milk to justify their feed and management cost in relation to their milk income? These are the areas that must be looked at to ensure purchased feed is justified and being used efficiently to maximise milk output, as well as ensure that cow condition and hence fertility, does not suffer.”

She warned of some of the problems which could result from cutting concentrates.

“For high yielding Holsteins, the risk is that energy in milk output will still greatly exceed energy consumed, leading to an increase in body condition loss, risk of metabolic diseases and fertility issues, with veterinary intervention required. The effect on fertility will also be felt in the long-term through lower milk output in 12 months’ time.

Lorna suggested that farmers should split the herd and feed less concentrates to lower yielders and rely more on forage, noting that this would be an ideal year to implement a rotational grazing strategy, which is proven to improve grass quality, quantity and thus milk yields compared to a setstocking system.

Farmers are urged to consider whether they have surplus heifers they could sell or beef cattle that could be sold earlier, to save on feed costs and free up space.

“It is possible, that if stocking density is currently high, early drying off or early culling of cows will increase feeding space and lying space for the remaining milking herd, and total milk output may not suffer.”

The

VET

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder – should it be?

After a time out we now look forward to agricultural shows once more showing off the best livestock that Scotland has to offer. That all important judging process that makes and breaks the dreams of the exhibitors mostly comes down to the opinion of one person on the day, albeit with vast experience of the breed or sector. In this day and age is that the best we can do?

The judge in the ring can only see what is presented in front of him, from which he can tell a lot – the limb conformation that is going to allow correct movement, the size of frame for growth potential, the general balance of appearance for particular breeds, the distribution of musculature on the carcase etc.

We now know so much more about a lot of breeds and individual animals through estimated breeding values (EBV’s). These are measures of heritable traits that will be passed on to offspring.

It compares the individuals’ genetics against the genetic base of the breed, highlighting where the individual is better.

It gives a guide on such measurables as calving ease relating to birthweight and gestation length, growth rates and carcase equality.

Estimates only as heritability of a trait gets modified by management of the animal and the environment it is kept in.

Accuracy of these figures can also vary widely as it is based on the amount of performance data available. The choice

By Andy Cant Northvet Veterinary Group of EBV’s can be tailored to what type of animal you want to breed, e.g., replacement heifer or finished bullock. So, should this not be included in the judging process?

Genomics has taken EBV’s one huge step further. This looks at all the genes made of the animals DNA and maps out the sequence of genes and what they are related to.

So, you can find the genotype that gives you the best milk production, (right down to placement of teats on the udder to suit robotic milking machines), or the ultimate steak. The reference genome maps are well developed for the Holstein breed but others such as the Aberdeen Angus are catching up. Genomics can be used to pick out your best performing animals (productivity and resistance to disease) and use them for breeding replacements to speed up the improvement in your herd …. and the production of that show winner!

So how do you match up what the judge can see in the

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

ring with what EBV databases and genomics can tell us – well maybe you don’t have to.

I see a parallel in the veterinary world. Nowadays there are endless diagnostic aids that can pinpoint problems, blood tests, x-rays, scanners etc and it’s easy to think you should jump in and run the tests to get your answer. I often think back to an early experience in my first job which was in Hawick. One of my bosses was Alastair Turnbull, a much-respected equine vet, and I used to go out and assist him on occasion. One day we went to visit a slightly lame horse. I was keen to get the horse out of the stable and trot it up to try and detect which leg was lame. “Andy, Andy, Andy - wait a minute” said Alastair, “lets just stand back and observe over the stable door” After a few minutes watching, Alastair came up with his diagnosis, which turned out to be correct on further examination. He had his own inbuilt database of lame horses, built up over many years, that he had just run the stance of this horse past. “A little more of the art and less of the science” he advised me on the way back to the car.

And so perhaps with judging, all the new-fangled information can be useful and has its place, but you can’t beat the experienced observations of someone who has worked with animals all their lives and can give us a little more of the art and less of the science!

97

Aquaculture

New innovation centre unlocks aquaculture opportunities

Agri-EPI Centre’s latest innovation hub at Loch Fyne on Scotland’s Argyll coast will help to drive sustainable solutions and improve efficiency for the UK aquaculture industry.

In partnership with independent aquaculture company, Otter Ferry Seafish (OFS) and jointly funded by Innovate UK and Agri-EPI Centre - the new Marine Aquaculture and Innovation Centre (MAIC) offers fully serviced research and development facilities to aquaculture producers and technology providers.

“We’ve been involved in aquaculture innovation and new species development since 1968,” says Alastair Barge, managing director at OFS. “For this initiative, we did market research to see what the sector needed to deliver sustainable solutions – R&D requires facilities, and most businesses can’t afford to run their own research stations 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”

The MAIC comprises a series of replicated small and 98

large land-based tanks, located indoors under programmable lighting. “The tanks have water capacities of two cubic metres and 20m3, respectively. In the 12 smaller tanks we can test four different regimes or diets, in triplicate, as commonly required for scientific evaluation,” Mr Barge explains. “In the six larger tanks, we can rear salmon and other farmed species to nearharvest weight.”

The tanks have a water flowthrough system, incorporating pretreatment using sand filtration and UV sterilisation. They are fitted with particle separators to measure uneaten food and fish waste.

Eduardo Jimenez, OFS’s research and development manager, says: “Land-based tanks offer greater environmental control than cages or other seabased growing systems, improving the reliability of trials data.

Interference from environmental factors is minimised because we can control and replicate conditions like lighting, water exchange rate, and oxygen levels.”

And the first trials are already under way. “At the moment we are running a benchmarking feed trial for a commercial client comparing three diets, to assess which is best in terms of fish growth and feed conversion efficiency.”

As well as helping to improve diets and treatments for farmed fish and shellfish, the MAIC is well suited for evaluating different strains of commercial farmed species and for developing rearing methods for up-and-coming species like seaweeds. It also provides a platform for validating new aquaculture technologies for counting and observing livestock and monitoring water quality.

“This is a great new resource supporting UK aquaculture innovation and we’re going to keep improving the facilities, bringing in new species and trials,” says Dr Jimenez.

Improving aquaculture sustainability is at the core of the partnership and the MAIC. “I think this centre can be a

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

model for innovation, all with a background of sustainability,” adds Mr Barge.

Lisa Williams, director of business development at AgriEPI, is excited about the range of R&D projects which the centre can help with. “It’s one of a kind in the UK. The centre will facilitate a range of trial work that will enable us to really look at efficiencies within the sector.

It also opens the opportunity to carry out near-market trials, as well as linking into the longterm sustainability of the sector and wider ecosystem within that supply chain.

“The partnership is a perfect combination to drive forward change and is a valuable resource to aquaculture businesses that want to initiate and progress R&D projects. If any business is interested in undertaking a project, then we encourage them to get in touch.”

For more information visit: www.agri-epicentre.com/ and www.otterferryseafish.com

Aquaculture

Blue Economy Vision launch Move to make Scotland a global leader in marine management

Scotland’s ambition for a worldleading ‘Blue Economy’ has been set out in a vision document.

The Blue Economy is sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, while preserving the health of marine and coastal ecosystem.

The document recognises that Scotland’s seas and waters have a key role to play in contributing to the nation’s future economic prosperity, especially in remote, rural and island communities – and that a healthy marine environment is essential to supporting this ambition.

The Vision identifies six outcomes acting as focal points to ensure the marine environment supports ecosystem health, improved livelihoods, economic prosperity, social inclusion and wellbeing.

The outcomes also recognise the ambition for Scotland to be a global leader in providing healthy, high-quality and sustainably harvested “blue foods”.

Publication of the Vision marks the start of the work to deliver a collaborative approach for marine related activity in Scotland. The next step is to develop the programmes and policies to deliver the six outcomes in a blue economy action plan.

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “Together, we can achieve an ambitious transformation of the value of Scotland’s seas as we move from blue economy theory into delivery, driving forward innovative solutions to deliver bold and ambitious change, helping to tackle the twin crises of nature and climate change, bringing real benefits to people and communities throughout Scotland and globally.

“Scotland’s seas and coasts support vital jobs across our economy, especially in coastal and island communities providing many goods and services as well as contributing to our overall wellbeing.

“There is potential for an

ambitious and inclusive blue recovery for people and nature and the blue economy vision starts us on that journey.”

Background Scotland has 617,000 square kilometres of marine area – seven times greater than the size of the land – and 18,743 kilometres of coast line. The marine economy supports nearly 75,000 jobs – a sector that generated £5 billion in GVA in 2019.

The blue economy approach recognises that “our economies, livelihoods and well-being all depend on our most precious asset: Nature”, where nature provides a flow of benefits to people and the economy, called natural capital.

The paper sets out the Scottish Government’s longterm goal for the blue economy to 2045.

The blue economy approach requires a transition from ‘environment versus economic growth’ (the prevailing status quo in Scotland and globally) to

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

‘shared stewardship’ of natural capital that is facing common pressures.

The six outcomes: Scotland’s marine ecosystems are healthy and functioning.

Scotland’s blue economy is resilient to climate change, contributing to climate mitigation and adaptation.

Established and emerging marine sectors are innovative, entrepreneurial, productive and internationally competitive.

Scotland is a global leader in healthy, quality, sustainably harvested and farmed Blue Foods.

Thriving, resilient, regenerated, healthy communities have more equal access to the benefits that ocean resources provide.

Scotland is an ocean literate and aware nation.

The Blue Economy Vision can be found here: A Blue Economy Vision for Scotland - gov.scot (www.gov. scot) 99

NORTHERN ISLES News

Orkney abattoir hopes revived Mart to explore feasibility of new ‘small-scale’ slaughter facility

By Sarah Sutherland Four years on from the controversial closure of Orkney’s abattoir, fresh hopes have emerged this week that a small facility could once again operate within the county.

Orkney farmers could soon be slaughtering their meat much closer to home, if tentative proposals by Orkney Auction Mart take off.

Orkney Auction Mart chairman Alan Corrigall has confirmed that work is under way to assess whether an abattoir could operate on a site adjacent to the mart.

“We at Orkney Auction Mart are looking at getting a feasibility study done for getting a small-scale facility up and running,” Mr Corrigall told The Orcadian.

“It would probably be out the other side of the lairage building, somewhere about hands with that, so that animals could be held in that building before going for slaughter.”

While the idea of a small facility at the mart site is in its infancy, Mr Corrigall said he was “very excited” by the prospect of bringing farmers and butchers an Orkney-based method of slaughtering once more.

While he explained that the Orkney Auction Mart board was “100 per cent behind the idea”, 100

it remains to be seen how the construction and operation of a facility would ultimately be funded.

“There was a primary feasibility study, and it did suggest that as long as the building of the facility was 100 per cent revenue funded from capital, then the running costs should take care of themselves,” Mr Corrigall said.

“With the size of facility we’re considering, we would cope with the local butcher demand, home kills and casualty animals.”

It is hoped that, if such a plan were to go ahead, capital funding may be available from some external sources. This could come from any number of funding pots and organisations willing to invest, including

previous abattoir operators Orkney Islands Council (OIC).

For now, however, the mart is still looking at a variety of possible funding models — and what level of stake it would have in such a facility.

“The different funding models we would consider as part of a further feasibility study would determine the level of risk that the mart and its shareholders would undertake,” Mr Corrigall explained.

“If we were just providing the site, our level of risk would be less, but if we want more control it would be a higher level of risk.”

The abattoir’s abrupt closure in 2018 sparked fury among many across Orkney’s farming community and beyond, and prompted a public petition to reinstate the facility.

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

In 2017, as the outlook for the abattoir, housed within the former Orkney Meat building in Hatston, looked bleak, OIC launched a special Challenge Fund, with the aim of encouraging the private sector to become directly involved in developing a solution to the provision of slaughtering services in Orkney.

Currently, livestock is shipped off the islands and slaughtered before being transported back to the county in a timely and costly process.

Though some efforts were made to try and reinstate a facility in the aftermath of its closure, this funding opportunity has since been disestablished. Orkney Auction Mart remains hopeful, however, that some funding could still be forthcoming from the local authority.

“We have met with the council — we met with them last week. It’s early days, but we are hoping we can get this feasibility study funded,” Mr Corrigall told the newspaper.

“But it wouldn’t be from that same pot — it’s gone.

“We don’t think it would be viable at all for us as Orkney Auction Mart to build it ourselves. But the initial study would suggest that as long as we have 100 per cent capital funding then we could handle the running costs ourselves.”

Spring show and sale at Shetland Mart This year has seen a welcome return of the – usually – annual spring show and sale at the Shetland Marts.

The show has had to be on hold for the last couple of years because of the situation surrounding the coronavirus.

But the key event has gone ahead for 2022.

There was even a special fundraising flavour to the sale, too.

Prime lambs from Noss Farm were sold in aid of Ukraine.

Speaking before the show, auctioneer Ellis Mutch said he was delighted to see it take its place in Shetland’s agricultural calendar once again.

“As auctioneer, I am looking forward to coming up to the spring sale,” he said.

“It’s great that we can hold the show this year and let the farmers and crofters of Shetland show their wonderful stock, which is always of high quality.”

The chairman of Shetland Livestock Marketing Group (SLMG), Cecil Eunson was also pleased to see the event go ahead.

“It’s the first time since 2019 that we are having a show, which is good to see. We have one of the buyers up from south doing the judging.

“It’s a positive move, which is really good.”

He said he was hopeful of good prices on the day, despite ongoing concerns about rising costs that have impacted on the farming and crofting communities.

“With the price of fertiliser and the price of feeding going up, it means guys buying cattle and sheep will be slightly more hesitant.”

Despite those concerns, this year’s overall winner was a one -year-old Charolais stot, which was being shown by Freya Leslie, of Laxfirth.

Judging the event was Tom Gray, of Mintlaw.

Beware of sheep scab Renewed pleas have been made for crofters and farmers to remain vigilant following an unwelcome return of sheep scab after a gap of almost 30 years.

Local policy advisor for NFU Scotland, Lorna Scott, has urged anyone with concerns to contact the veterinary surgery.

“If anyone is concerned they should get immediately in touch with the vets and maintain good boundary biosecurity.

She also urged producers to avoid buying in stock “if at all possible” and to look to local stock for breeding animals to reduce risk.

Concerns were raised in February after a ram imported from the mainland tested positive for the condition. It was the first time the infection had been detected in the isles since 1994.

The infected ram was treated at the pier with Cydectin, an oral drench treatment which acts against key sheep parasites.

However, the treatment appeared to be ineffective.

After that a rapid treatment programme swung into action, with initial work focused on identifying potential contacts.

Officials from Shetland Islands Council’s environmental health team quickly began working with farmers, crofters and vets – as well as NorthLink – to resolve the situation.

Well over 10,000 sheep from across the isles have now been dipped. Now, the focus remains on producers to be wary of any changes in the health of their livestock.

Hilary Burgess, veterinary adviser for Shetland Islands Council, has advised against the sharing of equipment between flocks, adding equipment should

be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected She also advised the use of separate protective clothing when working on different flocks – or, alternatively, careful cleaning and disinfection of clothing between flocks.

“With vigilance, care with biosecurity, and working together as a community we can look towards being clear of sheep scab once again.”

Anyone with any concerns should contact Shetland Vets by phoning 01595 810456.

In association with

www.shetlandtimes.co.uk Tel: 01595 742000

www.orcadian.co.uk Tel: 01856 879000 www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

101

Travel Scotland

Enjoy those Field to Fork Flavours on Holiday…

Scotland’s Finest Hotels with a Kitchen Garden

by Janice Hopper The agricultural community grows much of Scotland’s larder, so when farmers go on holiday, the desire for quality produce, fresh food and low food miles travels with them. To ensure you can dine in the style you’re accustomed to, we’re showcasing the best Scottish hotels with renowned kitchen gardens. Plus, visiting such venues allows farming guests to seek inspiration and see new business models for showcasing their own rural experiences and produce.

The Torridon, near Achnasheen thetorridon.com The Torridon is a ‘farm to fork’ resort — its kitchen gardens and

Torridon farm are a key part of the offering. Head Chef, Paul Green, works closely with Head Gardener Bryony Doig. The pair meet weekly to discuss what’s growing well and what will be available for the kitchen, and Paul takes daily walks in the kitchen gardens to get inspiration for the day’s menu.

The farm rears Highland Cattle and Tamworth pigs. The pigs are sourced locally, bred in Wester Ross, and reared for around 5-6 months before slaughter. The entire animal, from trotter to snout, is put to good use. The Torridon’s fold of 15-20 Highland Cattle turn the heads of many guests, but the ultimate goal is to provide diners with some of the finest beef in the

land. Combine luxury with fine food in this 18-bedroom castle hotel, set in a 58-acre estate at the end of a magnificent sea loch.

Nearby Farming Attraction The wild red deer that live on the mountains of the National Trust for Scotland’s Torridon estate can be pretty hard to spot so, for the last five decades, the trust has kept some deer on its farm for visitors to get close to. nts.org.uk Rufflets, St Andrews rufflets.co.uk Before Rufflets was transformed into a private home in 1924, the ten acres of land was used for agricultural purposes.

Rufflets became a luxury hotel in 1952 and, today, gardening masterclasses and garden tours

Glenapp Castle, Ayrshire glenappcastle.com The Earl of Orkney, who first created the Glenapp Estate, was an avid collector of trees and plant life. Another historic owner was May Stock, a wealthy aristocrat, philanthropist and keen horticulturist. In modern times Glenapp Castle is a 21-bedroom hotel, which is launching its Azalea Glasshouse & Bothy Restaurant in May 2022. Venture into the castle’s walled garden to take a seat and dine within the Mackenzie and Moncur Victorian Glasshouse, one of only a few remaining in Scotland, including a similar

Torridon aerial view

102

are available at this refined Fife country house that offers two AA rosette dining. A Centenary Garden Project is also underway to mark Rufflets’ hundredth year in 2024.

Rufflets’ new Garden Pantry is stocked with seasonal fruit and veg grown in the kitchen garden, fresh flowers from the formal gardens, and hearty pies (including Beef Bourguignon and fish pie). Visitors will be able to buy Rufflets honey and eggs, as well as cuttings to take home. Guests can also visit the hotel chickens - the birds aren’t destined for the table but the eggs make for wonderfully fresh Eggs Benedict at breakfast.

Nearby Farming Attraction Horse riding at Barbarafield Farm near Cupar. Classes available for beginners, children and skilled riders alike. barbarafield.co.uk

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Travel Scotland glasshouse situated on the Queen’s Balmoral Estate.

Visitors order from the menu, surrounded by an array of vines, fruit trees and plant life. The Azalea Glasshouse offers five dining compartments: including the Fruit Room that features fig and peach trees; the Vine Room that contains 100-year-old vines that still produce succulent grapes; and the Pond Room that showcases a calming goldfish pond.

The concept of Glenapp’s three AA rosette restaurant is to blend horticulture and dining, and this kitchen-garden relationship is echoed in the menus. 80% of the herbs such as curry plants, marigold leaves and rhubarb, are grown a few feet away. Guests can join the Head Gardener for a tour around the gardens designed by Gertrude Jekyll and Sir Robert Lorimer. Foraging and beekeeping experiences are also available.

Nearby Farming Attraction - Head to Ayr to follow in the footsteps of one of Scotland’s most famous farming sons, Robert Burns. Visit the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum and drop by Burns Cottage. nts.org.uk Douneside House, Royal Deeside dounesidehouse.co.uk Douneside House was once the home of dynamic landowner and cattle-breeder, Lady Rachel Workman MacRobert, who laid out the elegant gardens in the early twentieth century.

The gardens are vast, including seventeen acres of lawn,

Douneside House

terraces, an arboretum, pools, a walled vegetable and fruit garden, and an ornamental glasshouse. Run by the notfor-profit MacRobert Trust, Douneside funds horticultural trainees and apprentices, plus it’s been recognised as a Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Partner Garden.

The team of four gardeners and six trainees are ably led by Stephen McCallum, the former Head Gardener of the famous Beechgrove Garden television series. Produce that makes it way to the kitchen include scorzonera, red-veined sorrel, black tuscan kale, kohlrabi, red-hearted chicory, uchiki kuru winter squash and Jerusalem artichokes. The kitchen is known for getting inventive — when a glut of beetroot was harvested the chefs created a surprisingly tempting beetroot ice cream!

Once guests have admired the Deeside gardens and countryside, and dined in the three AA rosette restaurant, they can hit Douneside’s pool or spa.

Nearby Farming Attraction Meet farmer Grace Noble’s herd of Highland Cattle at the Aberdeenshire Highland Beef experience. aberdeenshirehighlandbeef.com Argyll Hotel, Iona argyllhoteliona.co.uk For an island escape head to the Argyll Hotel on Iona. This organic garden has been producing fruit and veg for over 150 years, and its basalt soils are enhanced in the traditional Hebridean way, utilising seaweed from the beach. In the

Fresh, green produce at Rufflets

greenhouse look out for tomatoes (Ailsa Craig, San Marzano, green zebra, beefsteak), broccoli (belstar), sugar pea (norli and Progress No 9), beetroot (cylindra, golden Detroit, chioggia and rhonda), kale (red winter and blue Scotch), celery (green Utah) and fennel (finale), including heritage varieties. The polytunnel offers up purple sprouting broccoli, mixed Japanese leaf greens, parsley, kale, purslane and chard.

As well as homegrown fruit and veg, local suppliers include Neil Jardine’s seafood from his boat Amaranth, Inverlussa Mussels, Tobermory Smoke House, Iona Hogget and Iona Lamb, Isle of Mull Ice Cream and

Isle of Mull Cheese. Garden tours can also be arranged.

Nearby Farming Attraction - Learn more about the island’s fishing and crofting community at the Iona Heritage Centre. ionaheritage.co.uk St Columba Hotel, Iona stcolumba-hotel.co.uk Green-fingered visitors are spoiled for choice in Iona. St Columba Hotel’s organic kitchen garden also produces vegetables, salad leaves, herbs, seasonal soft fruits and flowers that make their way to the hotel tables. Also look out for St Columba Gin, distilled from botanicals grown at the hotel’s organic garden.

Glenapp

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

103

Made in Scotland

A Taste of Summer from the Shielings

By Wendy Barrie

Scottish Thistle Award Regional Ambassador (2018/19) for Central, Tayside & Fife Director of Scottish Food Guide Scotland’s land use has been a particularly hot topic recently as the fragility of world trade in grain, energy and fertiliser has raised questions about food security and agriculture.

Interesting times ahead and an opportunity to rethink parts of our food system?

Sweeny’s hebrideans

104

For some, only the newest, brightest and most technologically advanced methodology will do. For others, working around low-tech solutions gives great satisfaction with minimal outlay.

I recall a few years ago when we had ordered a log cooker for our studio, I was chatting with

colleagues at a meeting break and showed them the stove on my phone (as you do) whereupon another attendee, who had not been privy to the conversation, glanced at the photo and said, “You can get those converted to oil, you know.” I think it fair to say he is of the former camp and

Mull shieling ruins

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

I of the latter! Incidentally, the stove works a treat and bakes beautifully on free driftwood.

Much of world food production today involves more inputs than the outputs achieved – and at great cost to both farmer and planet. Food is often seen as a commodity rather than a nutritious

flavoursome, albeit essential, pleasure to be valued. So what can we learn from our forefathers?

Granted industrialisation brought in labour saving devices but a lot was lost at the altar of convenience and efficiency, and perhaps it’s time to revisit some of these farming practices. How about shielings?

Only those interested in the history of Scottish food culture will have ever heard of the shielings for they are long gone.

These were summer hamlets where animals were taken to graze over the warmer months, normally journeying on hoof for up to a day away from the home farm. This seasonal cycle had many advantages: the upper meadows, outlying coastal machair or bogland flourished in the extended hours of northern daylight, providing bountiful and nutritious herbage. These in turn added a wonderful richness and flavour to the ruminants’ diet, resulting in sought-after summer produce in the form of meat and dairy products.

Shielings also had the benefit of shifting animals from the inby pastures of the farm that were essential for hay production. Once the animals were settled, some family members would remain on the shieling for the season whilst the farmer returned home to take care of other tasks. They were simple dwellings, grouped together, where the family slept and made their products.

Transhumance is the name given to this shieling culture across the world, the seasonal cyclical

Shieling products

movement of people and animals.

In parts of Europe transhumance still exists: with shielings known as säter or sæter in Norway, fäbod in Sweden and alm in the alpine regions across mainland Europe.

In these countries, consumers value the superior produce and are prepared to pay a premium price for it. It can also generate income for the rural economy through food tourism. There may be those who think that such an invasion is to be discouraged but interestingly, where we have seen it done with great success, it has been carried out within clear boundaries as a positive initiative for the region. Besides, tourists who wish to experience a taste of the shielings generally only leave their footprints and care about the environment. This success and growth in popularity in mainland Europe could hopefully encourage others to follow suit.

In Scotland, only the ruins of an occasional building still remain where once there was thriving and environmental food production… but it could return if there was a will to do so and there are a couple of interesting developments.

One such initiative is The Shieling Project, set up to offer youngsters the opportunity to experience shieling life, in a modest way. Although students are but visitors they can stay in specially designed cabins, live close to nature and take part in small-scale rural crofting activities with several animals to tend and skills to learn. They can experience the benefits of

biodiversity and learn about past shieling life. They even take a walk to where the summer grazing was, to feel first hand what the journey would have been like.

Whilst not transhumance, it is a positive project to enlighten a new generation to future possibilities and I’m sure it will inspire some to work with nature.

In the parish of Ness, at the northernmost point on Lewis, lives crofter Donald Macsween, known to all as Sweeny of Air An Lot. He recalls his grandfather using their shieling in the traditional way. About a mile and a half across rugged moorland from the home croft, it was an arduous walk over rough terrain and took quite a while for both crofter and cattle to reach. With no road access, it is a challenge to this day but Sweeny is harnessing technology to gain the benefits of this summer grazing without clambering over the roadless bog – by collaring his cattle!

Using GPS-collars combined with an app, the animals can graze with ‘virtual’ fencing. The tagging system allows the cattle to roam without Sweeny having to live alongside them, and he can check on them from a computer screen or tablet anywhere with a connection. Come summer, if he wants to follow them more closely, he can also use a drone.

The meat quality of his Highlanders should be exceptional with such island terroir. He also has Blackface, Hebridean and Shetland sheep on his croft that he sells to islanders and by mail order. He hopes to

have some pork available by autumn, ”If the boar does his job properly.” In addition to his shieling, Sweeny has common grazing associated with crofting rights and it is heartening to see a new generation of crofters giving life to the Hebrides instead of the depopulation some islands suffer from.

There were many shielings on Lewis, as there were all across highland Scotland. Not far from Sweeny is Cuishader, another shieling coming to life, where, since 2010, there has been local activity and some shelters erected once again for crofting families to share down time together.

Not quite summer grazing or milking cattle (yet) but certainly fishing, living off grid and taking a break from life’s daily rhythm.

These locals return regularly to reconnect, living simply and enjoying nature. Unlike Sweeny’s family shieling, this one is accessible by car as it is connected to a road used to reach the peat banks. The existence of a track, even a rustic one, is quite a game changer.

Some may find it scandalous to link the ancient food culture of transhumance with something as fickle as tourism but when you consider it, the latter can be the saviour of the former where shieling produce commands a high price. Indeed think of food tourism as a mindful learning journey, supporting rural communities whilst sharing the most wonderful experiences and possibly, as we have, making friends for life along the way.

Scandi fabod produce range

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

105

meet the producers

Spinks & Smokies

By Janice Hopper

106

household names like Findus and Birds Eye. “I started working for my dad without much consideration, it was natural to help out,’ says Iain. ‘I had no idea smokies would go on to play such a big role in my life.”

Iain’s father played a key role campaigning to secure Arbroath smokie’s PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status.

The successful inclusion of smokies in 2004, meant that the produce could only be made within a five mile radius of the town.

Similar to champagne and Parma ham, such protection stopped imitators pushing their copies onto the market. It was a game changer in, not only protecting the authenticity of the smokie, but enhancing its reputation across Europe.

After Robert Spink sold the family business, Iain had a brief hiatus from the seafood industry, studying for a BSc in Environmental Science at the University of the Highlands and

Martin Spink of M&M Spink Courtesy of VisitScotland / Kenny Lam

One name dominates the world of Arbroath smokies, and that name is Spink, but there are several Spink companies ready to serve you their excellent seafood.

First off, M & M Spink has been in business since 1965, and it’s possible to visit their simple smokehouse on the Arbroath harbour side, which produces smokies in the traditional way.

Here, visitors can see how the haddock is salted in brine before the catch is tied together by the tail, and gently smoked by hand over hardwood embers. Afterwards, make a few seafood purchases in the rudimentary but tempting shop.

Alternatively, consider G & A Spink Fish Merchants of Arbroath.

Haddock, lemon sole, plaice, cod and hake make up much of their fresh product list, and the smoked fish specialities include Arbroath smokies, hot smoked salmon, trout, seabass, mackerel and herring. G & A Spink also own the delicious Tailend Restaurants in St Andrews and Dundee. While the Tailend fish bars serve traditional takeaway with classics such as haddock and chips, they offer so much more than that. Sit down to savour a starter of Scottish scallops, followed by a main of Arbroath smokies served up in a relaxed but smart restaurant setting. The cherry on the cake is the fact that children eat free in the restaurant on Sundays, making it an ideal spot for weekend family dining.

One of the most well known and revered Spinks in the smokie story is Iain Spink, the fifth generation of his family to work in the seafood industry. Iain starting working with his father, Robert Spink, in the family fish processing company, R. R. Spink and Sons, at the age of sixteen.

Smokies were just one part of the many skills learned in those early years, as well as processing bigger hauls such as cod for

Iain Spink

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

meet the producers Islands. He returned to smokies almost by accident, as a way of making extra student income during the summer months, turning smokies into a business in a relatively unusual way. He hit the road, taking the haddock to festivals, markets and events to demonstrate how Arbroath Smokies are made, accompanied by a mix of jute string, old whisky barrels, hessian wrap and Toblerone-shaped wooden sticks to smoke the fish in the traditional way.

Iain’s first event was the Aberdeen Highland Games in 2002 then, after a busy season of summer shows, a friend asked Iain to bring his unique smokiemaking operation to Cupar’s farmers market, which he did, and they completely sold out. Not only did the audience gain insight into the smoking process, they could also purchase the freshest, hottest smokies available, at their very best, straight from the fire. The reactions were positive to say the least, with long queues of eager

customers patiently waiting for the first batch of fish to come off the barrel. Iain carved out a niche for himself with this new business, and essentially committed the majority of his weekends for the next two decades to visiting the length and breadth of Scotland showcasing Arbroath’s most renowned local product. Over the years key events have included the Royal Highland Show, Moy Game Fair, the Golf Open, and T in the Park.

“One of my favourite events is Ardbeg day at the Islay Whisky Festival because of the fantastic, unique atmosphere across the whole island. Visitors from all over the world are in attendance, many of whom are trying their first ever smokie and washing it down with the latest smoky/peaty offering from Ardbeg. It’s a great combination — see me there 4 June 2022!”

Such markets and festivals were Iain’s shop window and, over time, this flair for engaging an audience led to television appearances ranging from

Tailend St Andrews - Arbroath Smokie & Chips

Countryfile to Coast, meeting presenters such as Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay. Iain even wrote ‘The Arbroath Smokie Bible’, featuring a host of recipes and smokie information.

Iain worked hard sharing his passion for Arbroath’s heritage food but Covid changed everything for his business model. A global pandemic threw a packed diary of events under the bus. Equally it allowed Iain to step back and assess his commitment to working the majority of weekends, especially over the summer. With decades of success behind him, he says he’s ready to take his foot off the gas.

“Over the years I’ve invested a lot of time introducing people to smokies and getting the word out there. It’s time for something new, and a few weekends at home!”

History of Smokies The small fishing village of Authmithie has been claimed as the original home of the smokie.

Around three miles north of Arbroath, this cliff top village looks down onto a small pebbled beach and the old harbour. While visiting, be sure to dine at the renowned but informal But’n’Ben restaurant.

Guests tuck into traditional and warming hearty Scottish meals including But’n’Ben smokie pancakes, home-made cream of Arbroath smokie soup and hot buttered Arbroath smokie. thebutnben.com M & M Spink - mmspink.co.uk G & M Spink - gandaspink.co.uk Iain Spink - arbroathsmokies.net Other Spinks of note include Alex Spink & Sons, plus there’s D. Spink & Sons Fish Merchants on the High Street.

The Arbroath Smokie Bible

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

107

Edinvale Event Picture the scene. Tuesday, March 22nd 2022, is likely to be the only day of the Scottish summer that sprung early! With temperatures soaring above 17, it made for a great start to the first event of the year for Women In Agriculture Scotland (WiAS). Hosted by Jock and Fiona Gibson, the power duo behind Edinvale Farm, Dallas and Macbeth’s Butchery, Forres, we tailored the event to their business by arranging a farm Walk & Talk, alongside a tour of their butchery and shop.

Starting the day off right with a coffee and the opportunity to catch up with friends old and new, the tour started with Jock giving us a brief history of the farm, their businesses and his family with their story rooted in the field to fork ethos.

We then moved on to livestock and Edinvale’s focus on the breeding and finishing of traditional Scottish native Highland and Shorthorn cattle, being sold as an end product through their award-winning butchery. The discussion got off to a great start as Jock and Fiona gave us the background of the specific breeds and why they introduced them to the farm, alongside their methods and general approach to farming.

They most definitely have their

108

fair share to juggle, working and living on the farm, the livestock, the farm shop, the butchery

in Forres as well as bringing up their own family! It was incredibly humbling to hear the

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

high points as well as the low points that keep Jock and Fiona so busy day-to-day.

Women in Agriculture Scotland The tour then took a short stroll into the heart of Edinvale’s pasture. Fiona took the lead and spoke fondly of her flock of Shetland sheep. Given that the tour landed itself in the middle of the field, it didn’t phase one individual within the flock, who made herself quite known amongst the members of the group! At this point of the tour, we took the opportunity, given our surroundings, to discuss grassland management on Edinvale farm. Discussion opened and there was a fantastic conversation amongst the group, comparing and contrasting systems, concluding what works for one farm, may not always work for everyone else!

Another key point was Jock and Fiona’s emphasis on their final product, beef. They measure the carbon release within Edinvale farm, with the ultimate aim to eliminate emissions for the beef you would buy within their shop - a hot topic with consumers and producers.

The discussion then turned to work-life balance, mental health and succession. Three enormous subjects that are rarely mentioned however they’re are important to the success and wellbeing of farming families.

This was a fantastic opportunity to introduce Farmstrong to a number of the members on the tour. Originating from New Zealand, Farmstrong is an online platform providing material to help promote farmer wellbeing and stimulate discussion on these important topics.

With the sun beating down and conversation in full flow we decided to move down to the Dallas Hall, where lunch and refreshments were provided by local caterer, Myra Sutherland

and her team. It was another fantastic chance to network with the rest of the group over a hearty bowl of soup and sandwiches, followed by the most impressive selection of traybakes!

Leaving Dallas Hall fed, watered and full of cake, we made the journey through to Forres to have a tour of Macbeth’s butchery. For many of the members of the group, this was their chance to experience a ‘behind the scenes’ tour of the premises. Jock kindly gave us all an insight into the process, the cuts and the variety of products that they prepare and sell through their butchery shop.

The butchery was bought by Jock’s parents in the mid 80’s as an outlet to sell their awardwinning beef. Fast-forward to 2022 and the butchery now has a substantial online presence, and this has enabled them to develop and grow their product offering.

Macbeth’s butchery shop is most definitely worth a visit to see the outstanding range of products available!

Finally, the Women in Agriculture Scotland committee would like to sincerely thank Jock and Fiona for hosting us and being so hugely accommodating.

In addition, our thanks must also go ScotAgri for lending us a Honda UTV for access around the more inaccessible areas of the tour. And last, but definitely not least, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who travelled from near and far to attend the event and make it such a roaring success.

For more information regarding upcoming WiAS events, please make sure you have subscribed to our newsletter and follow us on social media.

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Next issue out July 2022

Southern Belle The arrival of the swallows is one on my annual highlights and I find myself checking their favourite electricity wire, for their imminent arrival.

The giant wind chimes, which have been house for the winter, are now back in the garden, bonging away like a Himalayan temple and doubtless driving the neighbours mad, although they all say they love them.

The summer is on its way and we can switch off the lights and the heating, hang the washing out and save on the rising electricity bills, like we always do.

I listened with interest to the radio this morning, where man was bemoaning the fact that things were so bad financially that he had to buy from “the shelf with the yellow labels.” He had in fact been reduced to the reduced shelf. What’s wrong with the reduced shelf? It feeds my family like it always has.

The village “girls”, are all gadding about in “Vinted” gear bought online or from the reduced shelf in M & S. My entire “new” outfit for my birthday dinner cost me £5 for the dress and £12 for

a pair of once worn Hobbs shoes, bought second hand, like I often do.

Paired with one of the many shawls that one of the girls knitted during lock down (I also have matching socks but not appropriate on this occasion) and I felt great in my new gear, like I always do.

She was also excited to tell me, she is now knitting bunting for the Queen’s Jubilee! Like no one has done ever!

Show season is nearly here but now you have to buy your Highland tickets in advance and can’t decide, depending on work or weather on the day, like we’ve always done.

Despite the changes over the last two years, principals have remained the same for most of us. Try and save money where we can, don’t waste either food or fabric, share what you have with your neighbours (including your wine stash and the 300 tomato plants you’ve grown) and be grateful for your lot.

It’s the Easter season and time to rejoice at new beginnings – like we always do – so here’s to another great year!

Subscription page 123 www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

109

GWCT Scottish Game Fair 1 -3rd June 2022, Scone Palace The top 7 things to see and do at the GWCT Scottish Game Fair this summer This summer sees the 33rd edition of the GWCT Scottish Game Fair, a spectacular celebration of Caledonian

conservation and countryside being held at Scone Palace in Perthshire. From the 1-3 of July over 30,000 visitors will enjoy

exciting displays, competitions and demonstrations, a huge shopping village, amazing local food and drink and plenty of chances to ‘have a go’ at the different rural sports and country crafts themselves, encompassing the most popular pastimes and fieldsports. As well as thrills, spills and demos inspiring people to take up new hobbies, the GWCT Scottish Game Fair also provides a vital platform for debate and discussion around the key issues facing the Scottish rural and fieldsports sectors.

With so much to see and do at this unmissable event, here are the top 7 things to see and do at the GWCT Scottish Game Fair 2022, to help you plan your visit.

1. Fisherman’s Row The banks of the river Tay provide an unbeatable location for Fisherman’s Row, the must-see destination for both passionate anglers and those who are keen to learn more about the sport of fishing. There will be casting demonstrations from leading names such as Stuart Sutherland, Andrew Toft and Scott McKenzie among many others, and the chance to have a go under expert tutelage will help fix any quirks in your own casting. They might even inspire you to enter one of the distance or accuracy casting competitions

110

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

for ladies, gentlemen and junior anglers over the weekend.

Fisherman’s Row also offers visitors an unrivalled opportunity to take a look at the very latest angling equipment, accessories and experiences on the market and chat to the people at the heart of the sport.

2. The Main Ring The Main Ring is the beating heart of the GWCT Scottish Game Fair where visitors are treated to an incredible array of displays and demonstrations from every corner of the Scottish countryside - and much further afield! For three days the Main Ring will host everything from Scottish pipe bands, terrier racing and gundogs to Middle Eastern falconry, hound displays and native Scottish ponies. An unmissable attraction which is well worth a visit.

3. Gunmakers Row A wander along Gunmakers Row, sponsored again in 2022

by Pulsar, will delight any shooting or stalking enthusiast and whet the appetite of anyone new to shooting. You can expect an enormous range of new and used shotguns, rifles, airguns, optics, accessories and clothing from all the leading brands and newer, lesser-known names. There are clay shooting

GWCT Scottish Game Fair

experiences organised by Pentangle Shooting Services and Buchan Field Sports, with their teams of experts on hand to help newcomers get off to a flying start and improve the shooting of even the most seasoned clay shooters. Flurries and other shooting competitions will run all weekend and ensure there’s something for competitive visitors to get their teeth into on all 3 days of the show.

4. The World of Gundogs Always a popular choice with visitors old and young, the World of Gundogs is the place to go for anyone who loves a waggy tail and seeing these skilled animals trained to perfection. As well as

displays and experts on hand to answer questions there are also a range of competitions throughout the weekend. These aim to replicate the conditions in the field and see gundogs tested on their hunting, marking and retrieving abilities as well as their steadiness to shot. Categories already confirmed for this year include spaniel and retriever tests, junior handler tests and the ever-popular scurry. The exciting Four Nations International, which sees spaniel and retriever teams from Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales compete head-to-head, returns to the gundog arena for 2022.

fancies a little retail therapy or loves to take advantage of a show special or two, then the Scottish Game Fair will not disappoint. Over 400 exhibitors encompassing country fashion, fieldsports equipment and accessories, home and garden products, food, drink and so much more will all be on hand for browsing and buying. A handy Shop and Drop service, run by charity volunteers to raise money for their excellent cause, means no lugging bags around with you all day - surely meaning you can buy more than you can carry?!

5. Shopping If you or a member of your party

6. The Kitchen Theatre Foodies and fans of game

cooking take note - the Kitchen Theatre returns for 2022 and once again sees top notch chefs and celebrities creating incredible dishes from Scottish produce. With a clear focus on sustainability, local farming and game, the Kitchen Theatre will inspire you to try something new when you next don an apron and take to the kitchen and show you how to turn simple game into a show stopping meal. There are five demonstrations every day so it’s easy to plan your day to make sure you take in at least one… look out for celebrity chefs too!

7. The GWCT Covey Tent The Covey Tent is the central exhibit for the Scottish Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and a fantastic place for children to come and learn more about Scottish countryside heritage and conservation. Demonstrations, workshops and even a mobile lab for budding young scientists will focus on this year’s theme the ‘Year of Stories’, reflecting the Scottish government decision to shine a spotlight on stories inspired by or written in Scotland.

As well as these seven things to see and do at the GWCT Scottish Game Fair there are also plenty of other attractions including an off-road driving challenge from Isuzu, a bushcraft zone, quad bikes, ferrets and so much more.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit: https://www. scottishfair.com/

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

111

estate Major report shows Scotland’s changing rural land market A groundbreaking report reveals changes to Scotland’s rural land market and values, amid strong timber prices and rising demand in non-farming leisure estates.

The report published today by the Scottish Land Commission shows the Scottish rural land market is characterised by exceptionally high demand but continued low supply, resulting in rising values.

The Rural Land Market Insights Report established that non-farming investors are playing an increasing role throughout the land market and there is heightened demand for smaller farms as lifestyle holdings and from corporate entities and investors interested in plantable land and forestry holdings.

The report was compiled

by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) in partnership with land agents Savills and Strutt & Parker, with support from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). It draws on published market information and interviews with sector experts, to provide a current picture of buyer and seller motivations, to better understand the land market and what is driving it.

Hamish Trench, Chief Executive of the Scottish Land Commission, said: “This report shows what is happening in the rural land market and helps us understand why. Emerging carbon and natural capital value is an increasing influence, but other drivers, particularly high timber 112

prices and forestry values remain significant.

“It emphasises that while the amount of land coming to the market has remained largely the same over recent years, demand from different types of buyer has increased significantly, raising prices.”

The report found the growing role of non-farming investors has resulted in land values being increasingly influenced by long-term investment potential and corporate environmental, social and governance (ESG)

considerations. With farmland values rising by 31.2% in Scotland in 2021 against 6.2% across UK. There has also been a marked shift in buyer types, with nearly half of all estates purchased in Scotland in 2021 sold to corporate bodies, investment funds or charitable trusts – motivated by the potential for carbon offsetting and developing large-scale environmental improvement.

Off-market sales make up a growing proportion of land

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

market activity, the report finds, with up to one-third of farmland, forestry and plantable land occurring off-market, rising to almost two-thirds of estate sales.

The off-market sales trend may exclude certain buyers and constrain access to land for individuals, communities and businesses, raising questions about transparency of the land market, which the report suggests could further reinforce Scotland’s existing pattern of concentrated land ownership.

estate An ambitious plan for nature Scotland’s nature agency NatureScot has published its vision for the next four years, setting out an ambitious plan to protect, restore and value nature.

The plan commits to bold action and renewed focus in tackling the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.

It sets out a route-map to halt nature loss by 2030 and deliver nature restoration at scale across Scotland by 2045.

Priority areas for Scotland’s nature agency over the next four years include: Leading the delivery of 30% of land and sea being protected by 2030 Scaling up peatland restoration through the Peatland ACTION project to substantially exceed Scotland’s goal of 250,000 ha of restored peatland by 2030 Delivering a major Nature Restoration Fund targeted at high impact and landscape-scale nature recovery and climate projects Substantially reducing deer numbers to enable our woodlands and peatlands to naturally grow and capture carbon.

Biodiversity Minister Lorna Slater said: “The Scottish Government has been working closely with NatureScot to develop this plan, which presents a sharp focus on restoring and protecting Scotland’s natural environment to deliver ‘a nature rich future for all’.

“This autumn we will publish a new biodiversity strategy with ambitious targets to protect at least 30% of Scotland’s land and sea for nature, and highly protect 10%. I look forward to working with NatureScot to achieve our goals both at home and abroad.

Muirburn over until October – but what will next season bring?

Another muirburn season has ended – a season that has seen more pressure applied for the banning of the important land management tool. It was also a season that saw RSPB launch a new app encouraging members of the public to report incidents of burning in the uplands, to identify where burning is taking place, and for the results to be used to support the banning of burning on peatland and for muirburn activities to be licensed.

The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) has been working with land managers and gamekeepers in Scotland to help record and monitor their muirburn activities since 2020.

Using the Epicollect5 app, GWCT has developed a quick and easy method to record fires.

As well as recording fire ignition points, the app also gives practitioners the option to take a measurement of the peat depth to ensure that their burning activities comply with best practice standards.

One of the issues in using citizen science data is accuracy. Third party apps are likely to be inaccurate in terms of identifying the exact

location particularly if related to a fire or smoke plume in the distance. In such situations the site reported is unlikely to be anything other than approximate.

Scotland’s uplands however are complex environments that exist as variable habitat mosaics. Often, dry heath, where heather growth is good and where burning would be acceptable, can be found amongst areas of blanket bog as well as exposed and eroded peat, which are broadly unsuitable for burning.

The GWCT recognises the importance of muirburn as a vital conservation and land management tool used by farmers and crofters as well as wildlife managers and gamekeepers for a variety of reasons including grazing improvement, habitat restoration and wildfire mitigation.

However, there is also increasing evidence that muirburn conducted under controlled conditions (‘cool’ burns on longer rotations) can enhance carbon capture.

Therefore, muirburn can be important for the environment and rural economies too.

Last year the Scottish Government declared its intention to licence muirburn activities, regardless of the

time of year it is undertaken.

Although the detail of such a licence remains (at the time of writing) to be seen, we can be confident that monitoring of muirburn activities will become an essential component for any estate wishing to carry out muirburn in future.

In 2020, the GWCT launched its Muirburn Advisory Service designed to support estates in developing and monitoring simple and user-friendly muirburn plans.

The service offers a number of options. From providing mapping and monitoring of muirburn activities to developing more comprehensive muirburn plans, we can provide specialist advice to help evaluate and manage risk of harm to the environment and ensure that management complies with best practice and meets any statutory restrictions.

For more information contact Hugo Straker Senior Advisor, Scotland Tel: 07713 074147 Email: hstraker@gwct.org.uk Nick Hesford Advisor, Scotland Tel: 07896 006322 Email: nhesford@gwct.org. uk

www.gwct.org.uk/auchnerran/

estate

“2022 will be a crucial year for nature - at COP15 a new global framework for halting biodiversity loss will be agreed.

Scotland has been leading the Edinburgh process, mobilising other sub-national governments, cities, states and regions around the world to agree shared goals for nature.”

NatureScot Chair Dr Mike Cantlay said: “Nature is in crisis and we face a climate emergency. Much has been achieved but we know that greater urgency is needed to meet these colossal challenges.

“This plan sets out the bold action NatureScot will lead to protect, restore and value nature.

By doing so, nature can contribute more than 40% of Scotland’s drive for net-zero carbon emissions by 2045.

“Success will require a radical change in how we use and value the land and sea. It’s vital that this transition is just and fair, with investment in nature delivering for people as

well as planet through green jobs and investment.

“We know that we cannot deliver this vision on our own.

As Scotland’s nature agency, we will continue to work closely with partners, communities and businesses towards our shared goal of a nature-rich, net zero Scotland.”

Boosting the benefits of protected areas A new policy briefing has called for transformative change in the planning and management of designated protected land in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has set out its intent to protect at least 30 per cent of Scottish land - with 20 per cent of this already designated.

The briefing, by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), says collaborative management of protected areas helps to deliver more than just local benefits, by contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goals.

114

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

estate These include improving health and wellbeing, and conserving, protecting and sustainably using marine and terrestrial resources to halt degradation and biodiversity loss.

Currently, there is a network of 5,389 designated marine and terrestrial natural features across Scotland on public, private, or community-owned land.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, visiting areas of natural beauty and observing wildlife became sources of wellbeing and cultural significance.

In the briefing, researchers at SRUC’s Rural Policy Centre say now is the time to capitalise on the public’s enhanced appreciation of green spaces by engaging them in decisions about where the next 10 per cent of protected areas should be designated.

And they suggest creating more local, place-based partnerships to help establish and manage these new protected areas.

The report highlights Lunan Lochs Natural Care Scheme and Cairngorms Connect as two examples of how collaboratively managed protected areas can help Scotland achieve wider sustainability goals.

Alexa Green, Trainee Research Assistant at SRUC and co-author of the report, said: “Considering the biodiversity and climate crises, and following the Covid-19 pandemic, radical transformative change is needed in the ways we govern and plan for protected areas.

“Now is a good time to tap into heightened awareness of the importance of local greenspace with high nature value and engage the public in identifying how to best manage protected areas for shared benefits.”

The policy spotlight was produced with the support of Scottish Funding Council with Universities Innovation Fund funding.

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Subscription details on page 123

Protecting our food chain

By Paul Richardson, Policy Adviser, Scottish Land & Estates The appalling situation in Ukraine is having a profound impact on global supply chains, with farmers facing an unprecedented rise in input costs due to scarce availability of feed, fertiliser, and fuel. We are yet to see the full implications of this on food security, but what is clear, is the significant strain this places on the cashflow of farming enterprises facing rising costs of production.

What we cannot, and should not do is have a kneejerk reaction and abandon the collective progress we are making in addressing the climate and biodiversity challenges. However, at the time of writing, there are still opportunities to support Scotland’s producers in other ways. The Scottish Government should urgently consider what support can be provided in the form of no, or low interest loans to the agricultural sector, which could be an advance on the Basic Payment Scheme. This would help farmers – many of whom are ‘all in’ with crops in the ground and new livestock being born – cover the rise in input costs until they are able to generate income from livestock and grain sales in the back end, as well as give the confidence to continue the production cycle. This year’s Basic Payment Scheme applications should be processed and delivered as soon as possible, with empathy towards farmers and the pressures on them as they complete their

applications at this busy time of year.

Ukraine is a significant exporter of conventional and organically certified wheat, maize, and sunflower oil, some of which is used to feed livestock in the UK. The Scottish and UK Governments need to work together to temporarily source feed from alternative providers such as the US and South America, adjusting tariffs where necessary, whilst simultaneously applying a dispensation on the percentage of organic feed that producers must include in their ration. Nothing should be off the table when it comes to taking decisive action to ease pressure on producers.

It is time for processors and retailers across the supply chain to step up to the plate, working closely with producers to ensure the challenges and rewards are shared equally, whilst also reducing food waste (The Grocer estimates that UK supermarkets throw away at least 100,000 tonnes of edible food annually, and some commentators suggest the figure could be closer to 200,000 tonnes).

There are reports of some vegetable crops being destroyed as they are unable to find a market which will cover the cost of harvesting.

This seems perverse.

Working with European and other international partners, governments must find a solution to the rising

cost of inputs in the short term, which could make food production unsustainable.

The agricultural industry is working hard to transition to more sustainable methods of production for the longterm, but it will take time to implement these measures which is not helped by a lack of progress on post-CAP reform.

These additional challenges and pressures come at what is already a particularly busy time of year for Scotland’s farmers and land managers, with the majority hoping to finish spring sowing against the weather, lambing and calving in full swing, and completing their SAF (Single Application Form) before the application window closes on 16 May 2022.

With this in mind, look out for your neighbours and don’t be afraid to pick up the phone or call in on friends.

RSABI, a charity supporting people in Scottish agriculture has a helpline open 24 hours a day: 0300 111 4166. They can provide emotional, practical, and financial assistance in times of need, and the service is available to anyone previously, or currently involved in farming, crofting, and occupations connected to agriculture in Scotland.

On a more positive note, we are heartened to be looking forward to a “back to normal” show season, which is so important for rural Scotland both socially and for finding business solutions.

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

by Linda Mellor

SCOTTISH COUNTRY LIFE Hope. Did you start 2022 full of hope? I know I certainly did, and I rekindled the hope I had stored unused for the start of 2021. 2022 is currently filed under the ‘not sure’ category but close to being upgraded to ‘normal’. In early Spring, as we started to plan, got close to the no-mask deadline, and grasped normality with our fingertips, we were shocked by the attack on Ukraine and the turmoil it caused around the globe. The state of flux continued as we looked at a different way of life or, at least, an alternative way of doing things.

We have a few challenges ahead: the weather over the winter months was difficult but not in the way we were used to. Winters were always cold, snowy, and frosty, and I have many fond memories and albums of photos taken on those chilly, fresh day out

116

on shoots. However, they have been replaced by mild, wet, and windy conditions, with more weather warnings than we’re used to. We have all seen hundreds of trees blown over by the winds in our local areas: a drive north up the A9 gave you a clear view of the tree destruction from the roadside verges. Scotland’s gamekeepers, ghillies and deer managers were kept busy with the chainsaws, as they helped to open up roads and tracks blocked by windblown trees. Often our rural workers come under attack by groups opposed to country sports for the legal, law-abiding jobs they do, but all over Scotland, these men and women worked hard to help open up areas blocked off by fallen trees. They are trained as part of their job, and their multiple skills are updated and certificated by

their employer. I think we will be placing more value on these lads and lassies of the countryside in the years to come.

I think rural skillsets all over Scotland will be utilised, after all countryside workers are one of the first groups, alongside farmers, to witness first-hand the changes in our climate. Until climate change is tackled successfully it will continue to change, so will the way we use the countryside also change?

I think it will. Our flora and fauna, mirror the seasons we have in Scotland. The milder weather will impact on young being born early, and flowers blooming too soon, making them all vulnerable to lambing snow and cold wet, snowy weather in May (remember what happened last year when we had a dump of snow in May).

From the BBC website: “Over the past 30 years, the average temperature in Scotland has risen by 0.5C, Scottish winters have become 5% wetter and the sea level around the Scottish coast has increased by up to 3cm each decade, the report pointed out.” The Scottish government is quoted to be ‘committed to reaching “net zero emissions” of all greenhouse gases by 2045 - five years earlier than the UK as a whole’ but how will they do this when climate

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

change impact is unknown and unpredictable? We are not able to look into the future and see the seasons, or predict how many more trees and forests will be decimated by the high winds, or how much flood damage will be triggered by increased rain fall.

There is one thing we do need to do, and that is to carry on and adapt the best we can, these last few years have proved how adaptable we are, especially when faced with the great unknown. Buy Scottish produce, eat local meat and veg and appreciate what we have on our doorstep for it is bountiful.

I am delighted the game fairs and farm shows are going ahead (at the time of writing they are in the diary) because they give us something to look forward to and opportunities for long-awaited catch ups with family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances in familiar territories like the Highland Show and the Scottish Game Fair (I will be hosting talks and interviews at the Game Fair so please come and say hello!). Pre-pandemic I was not the sort of person that subscribed to normal, but these days, I welcome normal and hope the weather is typical of what we have come to expect over the summer months.

Hope reigns supreme!

forestry Searching for a grand ash in Scotland Woodworkers are on the hunt for a grand ash tree that might have been brought down by the recent storms, or is due for imminent felling because of Ash Dieback.

If found, the tree will be used as part of a project to showcase Scotland’s hardwood sector and raise awareness of the tree disease which is affecting ash all over the country.

The Scottish Furniture Makers Association is masterminding the project.

They want to create a number of stunning items from a mighty ash or series of ash trees which would act as a centrepiece of a travelling show next year.

Tom Addy from the Scottish Furniture Makers Association said: “The storms over the winter have been pretty devastating for many. What we are hoping to do is turn some of what nature dealt us into a positive.

“We would like to hear from woodland owners who think they may have a suitable ash that we could use to promote the hardwood sector.

“Ideally we would be looking for a single decent sized ash, but we would also like to hear about stands of ash that have come down and can be used for this project.”

The SFMA is working with the Association of Scottish Hardwood Sawmillers Association and Scottish Forestry on the travelling show idea.

Ros Wardman, Scottish Forestry’s forest industries advisor added: “As part of the project, all the stages from finding the tree, to processing, milling, drying, selecting makers, and creating the furniture, will be fully documented. It’s a great way to showcase Scottish workmanship at its finest. “A strong element of the show will be to educate the public about Ash Dieback and other tree diseases affecting the hardwood sector.

“If we can find a grand tree, it would be a fitting and productive end to a tree that was brought down prematurely by the storms,

or about to felled because of the disease.”

Woodland owners who think they may have a mighty ash, or ash

stands affected by the storms, should contact the Scottish Furniture Makers Association on info@ scottishfurnituremakers.org.uk

The ultimate machinery from Oakleaf Forestry OVER the past decade, firewood production and forestry equipment distribution company Oakleaf Forestry has helped shape the evolution of the industry across the UK and Ireland. A driving

force behind the automation of firewood production and lowimpact forestry, it has earned an impressive reputation and developed an enviable range of products. From its headquarters

in Portadown, Co Armagh, Oakleaf imports and distributes machinery from some of the finest manufacturers in Europe to a wide array of customers.

SAMPO Rosenlew provides a wide range of harvesters and forwarders, with the leading principle being to offer customers high-quality products specifically designed for their needs and a cost structure that allows profitable harvesting when thinning.

The Sampo Rosenlew FR48 Forwarder is designed and built in Finland using proven components.

This 14-tonne forwarder thrives in young, dense forests due to its small dimensions and optimised weight distribution between the front and rear axles. This ensures that the ground and remaining trees are hardly affected by operations.

The cab of the forwarder is very

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

spacious with excellent visibility.

The rear chassis frame is now extended by 1.2 metres and it has been slightly redesigned, reinforced and widened to handle the 14 tonnes of load and the bigger bogies.

The Hypro 755HB tractor processor is capable of cutting and delimbing trees from 50 cm in diameter right down to 3 cm.

It is a fully-equipped machine with a built-in hydraulic system.

Pump and tank are both mounted on the machine. The new 7.5 m crane provides increased range and enables the grapple to reach the centre of the machine bed.

This also provides the possibility to cut and drop trees in the centre of the processor table when using a felling grapple without having to make any repeating grabs on the tree with the grapple to place 117

forestry

Guidance for woodland owners after storms

it correctly. It can also be fitted with the optional FG45 felling grapple to make it an all-round harvesting solution. Tilhill, the UK’s leading forestry, timber harvesting and landscaping company is celebrating after winning the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Sector RoSPA Award 2022, an internationally recognised award from RoSPA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) for demonstrating high health and safety standards.

This is the second year running that Tilhill has received the Award in recognition of the Company’s hard work and diligence in ensuring its staff and contractors get home safely to their families at the end of every working day.

Organisations receiving a RoSPA Award are recognised as being world-leaders in health and safety practice. Every year, nearly 2,000 entrants vie to achieve the highest possible accolade in what is the UK’s longest-running Health & Safety industry awards.

Another RoSPA Award Win for Tilhill New practical and easy to understand guidance for owners of small woodlands has been published to help them clear storm damaged trees.

The guidance is aimed at woodland owners who may not have experienced windblow of this scale before and are not sure of the key steps needed to manage the recovery of timber.

A Top Ten checklist, supported by a more detailed information note, is now available online.

It has been produced

by Scottish Forestry and Confor, in consultation with the NFUS and Scottish Land and Estates.

Welcoming the guidance, Environment Minister Màiri, McAllan said: “Storm Arwen was the first storm to hit this winter.

Very quickly after, the forest industries pulled together and started strategic work to plan out the recovery of fallen and damaged trees.

“There are many smaller woodland owners who have not dealt with such a clear up operation before.

This new guidance is aimed at them so that they have clear advice on dealing

with the aftermath of Storm Arwen and the subsequent storms.”

Storm Arwen, the most ferocious storm, was the first of the storms to hit Scotland this winter. It was followed by storms Malik, Corrie, Dudley and Eunice, which affected the already weakened and vulnerable trees.

The forestry sector is working well through the extra volumes of timber that is now available and continues to co-ordinate the recovery of timber.

Scottish Forestry has been deploying its staff to the areas most affected and is fast tracking necessary paperwork that is needed.

Felling Permissions, which are needed for windblow, are being dealt with in around 16 days, instead of the usual six weeks.

The Forest Research agency has been supplying satellite based data to help the industry quantify how much timber has been affected.

Guidance has also been issued previously to help woodland owners make best use of quality hardwoods that have been brought down by the storms.

On winning the award Gavin Adkins, Tilhill’s Managing Directorsaid: “I am delighted that Tilhill has been judged as Winners of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Sector once again. This is a proud achievement, and my thanks go to all our staff and contractors for embedding our rigorous safety and assurance culture into everything they do.

“It is wonderful that our Health and Safety culture and system has been judged by others to be of the highest quality in our sector. Whilst we are very proud of our achievement, we cannot stop or even pause in our drive to make the forest industry safer.”

Chris Pike, Tilhill’s Head of Safety & Assurance, said: “Tilhill launched its ‘Insist On Safety’ initiative back in 2009 and is now very much integral to our culture.

Our staff and contractors have all played their part in sustaining our drive to improve health and safety

over such a long period. This award is fantastic recognition for them of their continuing contribution to upholding the Company’s very high safety and assurance standards.”

Julia Small, RoSPA’s Achievements Director, said: “This is a fantastic and welldeserved accomplishment. All our award entrants demonstrate their unwavering commitment and passion for keeping people safe at work. By receiving this recognition, the winners join like-minded businesses and organisations worldwide, who represent the very best in their approach to Health and Safety.

I would like to add my personal thanks for all the work that it has taken to secure this well-deserved award – congratulations to all those involved, who champion and drive-up Health and Safety standards every day. You are a fantastic example to others in your sector.”

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Article

Men in rural communities less likely to seek support amid struggles Less than half of men in rural areas say they are likely to reach out for support when they are struggling to cope, a new survey from Samaritans has discovered.

The country’s leading suicide prevention charity is launching a fresh drive to raise awareness amongst men in these environments to let them know they do not need to face things alone.

The findings come as Samaritans Scotland launches a new phase of its Real People, Real Stories campaign, supported

by The NFU Mutual Charitable Trust and Scottish Government, which aims to reach men in rural communities who are struggling to cope, in order to prevent them reaching crisis point.

Men are almost three times more likely to die by suicide than women in Scotland, with men accounting for over 70% of deaths by suicide in Scotland consistently since the mid-1980s (National Records of Scotland 2021).

Samaritans research found that just 43 per cent of men in rural areas of the UK indicated they would reach out for assistance in difficult times, compared to 51 per cent in urban areas.

Two-thirds of men living in rural areas (66%) also said there are a variety of factors that would stop them reaching out for support even if they were struggling. Samaritans discovered the top three barriers are: stigma around mental health (18%), not knowing who to turn to (15%) and lack of awareness of the support available (15%).

With high suicide rates in some parts of remote and rural Scotland – and males making up over 70 per cent of those taking their own life in Scotland - it’s important that men in those areas know there is always someone on hand to listen, Rachel Cackett, 120

Executive Director of Samaritans Scotland said.

“The reasons for suicide and personal struggles are complex, going beyond simply where you live or what profession you are in. But these can be contributing factors.

“The increased risk factors for those living in remote and rural settings, such as poor access to services, isolation and persistent loneliness, mean it’s essential for us all to do more to reach people in these environments.

“Our previous research found that men did not receive support early enough in their lives, and that opportunities to engage them were missed.

“By giving men a platform to share their own stories of hope in getting through their own struggles, we are underlining that if you are a man struggling, you really are not alone.

“We hope this new Real People, Real Stories campaign will raise awareness of the support that’s out there. And encourage more people to seek help early on, so that we can continue the drive to reduce suicide rates across the country.

The Scottish Government is also supporting a specific Real People, Real Stories campaign in the West Highlands and Skye which aims to create awareness and behavioural change.

West Highlands and Skye sits within a region which has the second-highest suicide rate in Scotland (National Records of Scotland 2021). Its isolation and remoteness only increases the need to engage men in its communities in order to signpost the help available.

“It is important that people reach out,” said David, a volunteer for Samaritans who is based on the Knoydart Peninsula, near Mallaig.

Chair of NFU Mutual Jim McLaren MBE

“I’ve always had that ability to talk to people, whether that’s friends or family, about what I’m going through. But without that support, who knows where I’d be now?

“I was struggling in my life, and I’d been through a difficult relationship and I isolated myself.

“Well, it was almost a wakeup call. I realised that it wasn’t going well and after a few months that I needed to change things.

And by reaching out to my sister and talking about it, that changed things for me. And she was sort of my personal Samaritan if you like.

“But I realise not everybody’s got that. Men particularly find it difficult to talk about what’s going on in their life and emotions. You know, if somebody can just reach out to somebody else, just to talk to somebody about how they’re feeling, I think they’ll really feel the benefit of that.”

Perthshire-based farmer and Chair of NFU Mutual Jim McLaren MBE, said: “Loneliness, isolation and feelings of anxiety are on the rise.

“Many farmers experience pressure to make sure the business is performing effectively and bringing a decent standard of living for themselves, their family

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

and in many cases their staff and employees.

“These issues are not all unique to farming. But farmers very often feel a stigma around speaking about these issues and that’s something we’ve very keen to overcome. Seeking help should never be seen as a weakness.”

He added: “Supporting communities has always been at the very heart of NFU Mutual’s approach, and the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust is one of the main ways NFU Mutual provides charitable donations.

“We’re proud to be supporting Real People, Real Stories, raising awareness of the support Samaritans offer around the clock. Finding a safe, nonjudgmental space to explore their feelings could be a person’s first step on their journey to looking after their recovery.”

The Scottish Government’s Minister for Mental Wellbeing & Social Care, Kevin Stewart, said: “The Scottish Government is pleased to support this vitally important work by the Samaritans to reach out to men in rural communities, and in doing so to raise awareness of the support that is available. We know how powerful it can be to hear the stories of people who have had similar life experience.

“This work will help to provide real hope and reassurance to those who are struggling that they are not alone and that there is help available to them. The Real People, Real Stories campaign will help to reduce stigma and promote more understanding of suicide in our society, and most importantly will encourage people to talk.”

You can call Samaritans for free 24/7 on 116 12 or visiting samaritans.org for online self-help tools and information.

people Major financial boost to agricultural apprenticeships by AGCO

Agricultural machinery manufacturing giant AGCO (NYSE:AGCO) is continuing to support the Further Education sector by affiliating with an additional two colleges and injecting heavy investment into their agricultural engineering apprenticeship schemes.

At a time when many agricultural manufacturers are bringing their apprenticeship training in-house, AGCO has partnered with SRUC Barony in Scotland and Riseholme

College in Lincolnshire to help offer budding new agricultural engineering apprentices the chance to embark on a full career path with AGCO, offering City & Guilds diplomas at a venue closer to home.

With the worldwide demand for food predicted to increase 60% by 2050, AGCO understands that the demand for highly skilled and talented agricultural engineers to ensure that the industry’s advanced and complex machinery will meet

that goal has never been greater.

AGCO’s Training and Development Consultant, Charlie Rollason said: “Supporting four dedicated centres of learning makes perfect sense to AGCO. With these two new partners coming on board, supplementing WCG Moreton Morrell in Warwickshire and Coleg Cambria Llysfasi in Wales, and with a major investment by both AGCO and our learning partners, we aim to offer the same high standard

of manufacturer supported learning in convenient locations throughout the UK rather than at one centralised hub.”

AGCO is also welcoming a growing number of people who are embracing the challenges of being an agricultural engineer and retraining in this much-valued and sought-after occupation.

They have started working closely with Forces Farming, an initiative created to help exservices personnel transition into the agricultural sector.

New survey aims to highlight farmer and crofter wellbeing With increasing concerns around farmer and crofter wellbeing, as pressures build in the industry, a range of agricultural partners have come together to launch a survey to better understand the needs and concerns of Scotland’s farmers and crofters, with the view of introducing a new wellbeing programme in 2022/23.

The research follows on from the successful “drought, adversity and breaking new ground” tour that took place in winter 2018 and saw over 2000 farmers attend one of fourteen events to hear New Zealand farmer Doug Avery, talk about his own challenges with mental health and wellbeing.

After the tour, a steering group was established to review the learnings, chaired by beef,

sheep and arable farmer, John Scott of Fearn Farm, Ross-Shire.

“Agriculture is facing unimaginable change that will impact generations and could require complete restructuring of farming practices. Many of these challenges we can’t control, they will happen regardless of how well we rear our livestock, grow our crops or manage our finances.

This significantly impacts the way we think and farm, it tests our resilience and can, at times, take us down a dark path when we feel overwhelmed, anxious or simply just knackered,” said John Scott.

“When Doug visited Scotland, we were astounded by the response, highlighting the appetite from farmers and crofters, to better understand how we can manage our own wellbeing

through shared learning, events and resources. This new survey will give us insights to understand how farmers and crofters are

feeling, what type of activities and resources would best support them and how they should be delivered.”

John Scott

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

121

people Two new appointees at Wildlife Estates Scotland

RSABI celebrates 125 years of supporting people in Scottish agriculture RSABI, the organisation which supports people in Scottish agriculture, is this spring celebrating its 125th anniversary and a series of events and activities to mark the milestone are planned for the next 12 months.

The charity is now known simply as RSABI, but it was founded as the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution in 1897 to mark Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee and in recognition of the deep agricultural depression at the time.

When first set up, its aim was to help elderly, infirm, distressed and disabled Scottish tenant farmers and their dependants. At its first AGM, the funds available supported 16 “pensioners” to each receive £20 per year.

Over the years, RSABI has evolved significantly and now supports many hundreds of people of all ages across the agricultural industry each year. The support services now on offer are wide-ranging and include emotional and practical support as well as financial assistance.

During its 125th anniversary year, RSABI will be encouraging the agricultural community to continue to support its work and raise awareness of its services.

RSABI Chief Executive Carol McLaren explains: “We know there are people who could benefit from our support, including younger people, who for some reason are hesitating to reach out to us.

“We are looking at steps to address this and

this spring we have further developed our helpline to a 24-hour service operating seven days a week, 365 days a year, to ensure we are ready and waiting for calls at any time of the day or night.”

RSABI is also developing a vibrant new website which will make it really easy to understand and navigate the range of services we offer and will also feature a live webchat function.

“RSABI is here for you, whatever is around the corner, as we have been since 1897. Our service is always confidential, always friendly, and always understanding so if you are in difficulty, or worried about a friend, family member of neighbour, please share our number or contact us on 0300 111 4166 or via email helpline@rsabi.org.uk.

Don’t hesitate.”

RSABI’s helpline is open every day of the year from 7am to 11pm on 0300 111 4166. Visit www.rsabi.org.uk for more information on support provided.

Deirdre Stewart

Lyn White

Wildlife Estates Scotland (WES), the internationally recognised accreditation scheme promoting habitat and wildlife management best practice, has made two new appointments to its leadership groups.

Deirdre Stewart, Estate Manager at Dalhousie Estates, has been appointed a board member of the WES Advisory Board, which steers the longterm direction of the scheme.

Lyn White, Forestry and Farming Development Officer at Scottish Forestry, has become a member of the WES Technical Committee which advises on species, habitat, best practice and assessment.

Both join the WES leadership teams as the scheme aims to double its fully accredited farm and estate land from 1.25million acres to 2.5million acres by the end of 2023.

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE SUBSCRIBE NOW

Get your very own copy delivered to your door.

Also makes an ideal gift.

2 WAYS TO GET YOUR OWN PERSONAL COPY sent directly to your home or office.

1) Visit our website @ www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com Go to the SUBSCRIPTIONS PAGE and follow the instructions.

Only

£28.50 a year

2) Card payment over telephone. (Call us on 01738 639747).

Your ‘collectable’ magazine

Keep each issue build your ‘annual set’ and...

RELEASE THE LION!

Build your own ‘reference’ library of FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE with our new ‘collectable library’ editions

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

BOOK SERIALISATION

Native: Life in a Vanishing Landscape The white stripes

Continuing our exclusive extracts from his award-winning book, Patrick Laurie explains why he prizes a once-despised strain of Galloway cattle

By Patrick Laurie

began to focus on pure black cattle – ‘black, black and only black’ as the saying goes. The Galloway Cattle Society was established in 1878 and set down many of the conventions which had become habit. They decreed that only three colours should be recognised as true. Red and dun were popular, but black was

king. Black Galloways would go on to power the beef industry in the south of Scotland for the next century, and in time they’d cast a broad shadow across the world.

The future was less promising for animals which failed to conform. Some of the oldest Galloways were black animals with a white stripe

along their spines and under their bellies. These were called Riggit Galloways, pointing to the pitched white ‘rigg’ on their back. Irish farmers made a fetish o these same beautiful markings, and they developed the beautiful Droimeann and Moiled breeds with the same white line. Maybe that’s where our riggs came Duncan Ireland Photography

The original herds of Galloway cattle probably looked like a muddle, a churning mix of black, red, brown (dun) and white animals. Some were ‘belted’ with a white band around their bellies, and there were all kinds of other markings and patterns which lay somewhere in between. As momentum gathered, farmers

Galloways marked by the white ‘rigg’, or stripe, on their back used to be shunned by cattle farmers – even though they have been on the land for centuries

124

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

BOOK SERIALISATION from to start with, but whatever the explanation, riggit markings were not approved by the Galloway Cattle Society. The beasts were held to be scruffy and obscure. We wanted nothing more to do with them.

The genes which govern riggit markings are recessive and the pattern is easily suppressed.

By contrast, Black Galloway genetics are absurdly dominant; put a Black Galloway with any other breed and the calf will always be black and hornless.

Even a red, horny Highlander will toe the line. Nature seemed to be steering farmers towards conformity, and riggit calves were no longer kept for breeding. The Society built a structure which allowed farmers to focus and refine their efforts, but it also ironed out rich seams of variety. A fine, subtle shred of our ancient agricultural heritage was rushed out of sight in a few short years.

Riggits continued to pop up here and there over the next century in a series of bizarre genetic throwbacks.

Humans soon forgot them, and unexpected Riggit calves were seen as inexplicable freaks.

My grandfather worked with Galloway cattle all his life, but he’d have been stumped by the sight of a Riggit. In contrast, his grandfather would have recognised Riggits immediately and maybe would’ve thought that judging a cow by its markings was a fairly shallow business.

It happened that a beautifully marked Riggit calf was born in the 1980s near Kirkcudbright.

Like many others before her, the little heifer came as a bolt from the blue. Both of her parents had been pedigree Galloways, and there was nothing to suggest that a Riggit calf could even be possible from the pairing.

The tale turns strange when you hear that another Riggit calf was born that year on a different farm a few miles away.

Here was a little bull, just as unexpected. Throwbacks like these happen now and again, but two at once in the same place is something extraordinary. There

was no reason for either farmer to do any more than shrug, but they were curious enough to find out more. A crucial piece of evidence lay in a painting by the Regency artist George Garrard.

Captioned ‘A Fat Galloway Heifer at Smithfield Christmas Show – 1804’, the painting clearly shows a Riggit Galloway with a white head, a white rigg and classic markings from tail to snout. The weird, throwback calves suddenly had a name and a heritage; they were every bit as pure and authentic as the finest pedigree stock. It was obvious that they should be paired.

With the backing of friends in high places, Riggit Galloways began a long climb out of obscurity. Some people actively disliked the Riggits and thought they were mongrels which gave the pure Galloway a bad name.

A few took active steps to stymie the Riggit’s resurrection, but other farmers were persuaded to keep their own throwbacks and use them for breeding. The markings were quietly kindled back into life, but always in tiny numbers and often clustered around southern England. Now there’s even a Riggit Galloway Cattle Society, which serves as a network for people who love the markings. The animals are registered ‘pedigree’, as much as that’s possible.

Some people still say that Riggit Galloways are worth nothing at all because you can’t breed them true. That’s a fair point. Put a Riggit bull with a Riggit cow and you still need to roll the dice for a Riggit calf. You might end up with something that’s black or white or somewhere between, but that’s how the old herds used to work. The important thing is that these are Galloway cattle and they’re defined by unpredictable markings. There’s no such thing as the ‘perfect Riggit’, and in a world of cast-iron regulations, that creates some nice space for personal preference.

A handful of Riggit Galloways remain in Galloway, and I went to see my first beasts as an act of curiosity on a warm, sunlit evening in September.

In Native, Patrick Lurie makes the case for meat from traditional local breeds such as Riggit Galloways

The cows belonged to Richard, and he is good with his animals.

He’s gentle and softly spoken, and he chatted to them as if they were dear old friends. I was smitten. These beasts smelled of cud and honesty, lightly shaken from the leaves of a history book. I drank them in and found that they were home incarnate; a place conjured up in curls and long, soft eyelashes.

I warmed to the riggit colours in a heartbeat; blacks and whites swirled together like a freshly poured pint of stout.

I’d always been dead set on Black Galloways, but there was no way I could ever walk away from these animals. I chose one calf for her markings, which were a perfect replica of the old Garrard painting of 1804. She was blotchy, soft and perfectly gorgeous. I picked a second for her shape – a broad, tubby barrel with a wrinkle of fat around her neck. Richard shook my hand and we sealed the deal, but there was a squeak of dishonesty on my part. I didn’t have any money to pay for these calves, but I reassured myself that there were still three months to worry about that.

It turned out that my first heifers were absurdly independent. I was ready to care for them, but they didn’t need anything from me. They came out of the lorry, vanished into the whins, and I didn’t see them again for a week. I fell to tracking their movements like a big game hunter. That makes them sound

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

nervy and wild, but really it was a knowing adolescent coolness which kept them at arm’s length.

I’d been told that they would be ‘low maintenance’ but found that they were ‘no maintenance’.

They made it clear that my duty was to feed them and then get lost.

One of my calves was the most beautiful animal I’d ever seen. She had a white head with black eyes, black ears and a black nose. We call these markings ‘points’, and here’s the seed of beauty. ‘Wellmarked’ cattle start with deep, expressive eyes which glitter in dribbled mascara. Beyond this, riggit markings can be almost anything. The main requisite is a white stripe which runs from the withers to the rump, but my favourite was mottled all over.

Her sister had a black head and a white arse. The third was dappled with blue roan and the fourth was daubed with blocky, geometrically perfect markings with hard lines. They were a jumble and I adored their details, but I couldn’t ignore the fact that these animals aren’t supposed to be viewed up close. Pat and dandle them all you like, but Galloways look best in a middle distance of tumbling moorland and rising cloud. At the range of a mile, Riggits make a smattered line of black and white to make your heart sing.

Native: Life in a Vanishing Landscape by Patrick Laurie is published by Birlinn (£9.99,pbk) 125

Beatha an eilean Àrdachadh ann an taic airgid dha croitearan son craobhan a chur

By Murray MacLeod Tha an ìre de thaic a gheibh croitearan son craobhan a chur air a dhol an àirde mar dhòigh air barrachd chraobhan, a tha dùthchasach dhan àite, a bhrosnachadh.

Tha a’ bhuidheann Coilltearachd na h-Alba air fhoillseachadh gun tig an taic a thathas a’ tabhann suas £840 gach heactair gu £7,560 thairis na còig bliadhna air thoiseach, le amas sònraichte air na sgìrean eileanach.

Mar tha, tha sgeama anns na h-Eileanan an Iar, air a ruith le Urras nan Coilltean agus Urras an Rubha agus Sanndabhaig, air a bhith soirbheachail le 163,000 craobh gan cur bho chaidh a thoiseachadh air ais ann an 2016.

Tha mòran buannachdan aig sgeamaichean beaga coilltearachd - dhan àrainneachd, dha bòichead an àite agus a’ toirt fasgadh dha beathaichean is toglaichean.

Ach, tha na cosgaisean airson an stèidheachadh agus airson coimhead às an dèidh air àrdachadh, gu h-àraid anns na h-eileanan.

Cha bhith an taic airgid as àirde a chaidh ainmeachadh an dràsta ri fhaighinn ach airson sgeamaichean suas gu trì heactairean anns am bi craobhan dùthchasach. Faodar croitear sam bith cur air a shon.

A’ foillseachadh na sgeama, thuirt ministear na h-àrainneachd, Màiri NicAilein: “Tha targaidean gu math mòr aig Riaghaltas na h-Alba airson coilltearachd, ag èirigh gu 18,000 heactair ron a’ bhliadhna 2024-2025.

“Tha na targaidean seo air an cur air chois ach am faigh sinn air dèiligeadh le atharrachadh 126

na gnàth shìde agus an cron air nàdar.

“Feumaidh a h-uile duine a dhol an sàs ann a bhith cruthachadh coilltean as ùr. Tha sgeamaichean beag agus mòr gu bhith cudromach airson ar amasan a ruighinn.

“Le bhith ag àrdachadh an grant dha na sgìrean croitearachd tha sinn a’ cuideachadh croitearan, aig a bheil duilgheadasan sònraichte craobhan a chur, an iomadach buannachd a thig le craobhan dùthchasach fhaighinn.

“Tha mi gu sònraichte toilichte gu bheil seo a’ toirt a-staigh na h-Eileanan an Iar, na h-eileanan a tuath, eileanan Earraghaidheil agus Arainn, far a bheil fios againn gu bheil ùidh mhòr

ann an coilltean a bharrachd.”

A’ cur fàilte air a naidheachd, thuirt Iona Hyde bho Urras Coilltean na h-Alba: “Tha an àrdachadh ann an cosgaisean airson a h-uile càil a’ toirt barrachd buaidh air na sgeamaichean beaga anns na sgirean croitearachd as iomallaiche, agus far a bheil tric sgeamaichean coilltearachd a’ toirt a’ bhuannachd as motha.

“Brosnaichidh an cuideachadh a bharrachd a tha seo sgeamaichean beaga, a’ toirt buannachd dha croitearan agus coimhearsnachdan croitearachd le bhith cruthachadh fasgadh dha beathaichean is toglaichean, fiodh a ghabhas losgadh son teas agus àrainneachd nas fhallaine.”

Tha Pròiseact nan Coilltean

www.stornowaygazette.co.uk www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Croiteachd a’ tabhann comhairle is taic an asgaidh dha croitearan a tha a’ coimhead ri craobhan a chur.

Chur Pàdraig Krause, àrdoifigear Caidreachas Croitearachd na h-Alba, fàilte air an àrdachadh ann an taic airgid.

“Tha croitearan a-riamh air a bhith an sàs ann a bhith cur craobhan, ach tha seo air fàs cianal fhèin cosgail agus cha robh cur craobhan ùr a-riamh cho cudromach,” thuirt e.

“Tha e math dha-rìribh gu bheil buidheann Coilltearachd na h-Alba air seo aithneachadh le bhith ag àrdachadh an taic airgid anns na sgìrean croitearan.

“Dh’iarradh sinn air croitearan gu leir beachdachadh air na buannachdan a thig le sgeamaichean beaga coille.”

Air a’ mhios a chaidh seachad, thadhal Stiùiriche Albannach Urras nan Coille, Alasdair Seaman, air grunnan sgeama coille anns na h-Eileanan an Iar. Le croit teaghlach aige anns an Eilean Sgiathanach, tha Alasdair gu math mothachail air buaidh an t-aimsir air planntadh anns na h-eileanan, ach le bhith a’ tadhal air na pròiseactan gu pearsanta tha e air a bhith a’ faicinn na duilgheadasan sònraichte a tha an sàs ann a bhith a’ stèidheachadh coilltean aig oir a’ Chuan Siar.

Airson dèanamh cinnteach gum bi na craobhan a’ fàs, tha e cudromach na craobhan ceart a phlanntadh anns na h-àiteachan ceart, agus seo far a bheil taic bho Comhairlichean a’ Phròiseact Croitean Coillteach gu math feumail, thuirt e.

Sunday Roast with Honey Berry Wine

By Wendy Barrie Honeyberry is the fruit of the Siberian Honeysuckle, Scotland’s latest soft fruit offering and grown in Tayside. Bright and bursting with juice with a long dry finish, it works perfectly with the beef – both for the glaze and for an accompanying glass of wine.

Photograph © Wendy Barrie

Ingredients: 750g Hardiesmill salmon cut of Native Aberdeen Angus 1 bottle Cairn O’Mohr Honey Berry Wine 4 juniper berries, coarsely crushed Scrunch of Blackthorn sea salt Milled black pepper 2 medium potatoes per person (Cara potatoes from Skea Organics pictured) 100g butter 300mls double cream 2 medium courgettes Supernature rapeseed oil Method: • Pre-heat oven 150°C. • Butter an ovenware dish sufficiently large for the beef and place joint within. Pour over a generous glass of wine, season and add juniper. Place in heated oven.

• Meanwhile peel potatoes and par boil for 10 minutes on a rolling boil. Drain and when sufficiently cool to handle, slice thickly.

Layer in a buttered dish with knobs of butter, seasoning, then pour over cream.

• Open roast for 30 minutes then baste with the wine and return to oven for a further 20 minutes.

• Place the potatoes in the oven to cook alongside the beef.

• Allow the beef to rest, covered with foil for a minimum of 10 minutes before serving, while sautéing the courgettes. Meanwhile, also turn up heat in oven to finish off the potatoes.

Served with dauphinoise potatoes & sautéed courgettes.

Scottish Thistle Award Regional Ambassador (2018/19) for Central, Tayside & Fife, Wendy Barrie www.wendybarrie.co.uk is a highly respected campaigner for local sustainable food, popular cookery show presenter and food writer.

Founder & Director of award-winning www.scottishfoodguide.scot & www.scottishcheesetrail.com Wendy is Leader in Scotland for Slow Food Ark of Taste & Member of Slow Food Cooks Alliance. www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

127

finance Vogelsang: Successful financial year with product innovations Vogelsang GmbH & Co. KG has reported annual turnover in 2021 of 145 million euros for the Vogelsang Group (Vogelsang Germany and its subsidiaries). This represents an eight-percent rise in sales compared to the previous year. Despite the continued difficult conditions resulting from the Corona pandemic, the company has been able to increase its sales both at home and abroad – driven primarily by the segments of agricultural technology, biogas, and industry.

“Product innovations and the further development of our machines and components are driving us forward. Yet more important, though, is that we maintain a direct exchange with our customers and partners and remain in close contact with them.

Consequently, we were pleased to present our innovations and further developments at our in-house events as well as in webinars featuring live product demonstrations,” says Harald

Vogelsang, CEO of Vogelsang GmbH & Co. KG. Portfolio expanded further Milestones from the last year include the introduction of new and further developed products: One of these is the XSplit press screw separator, the first separator Vogelsang has launched for the processing of slurry and digestate. Also new are the precision distributor ExaCut ECC without air suction and the ProCap T progressive cavity pump, as well as the PowerFill Small compact filling aid and the Flow Performance Monitor (FPM). In addition, the UniSpread universal linkage is now also available with a working width of 10.5 m, while the BlackBird trailing shoe linkage in working widths of 21 and 24 m is equipped with a simplified control system.

Vogelsang has also further developed the SyreN system for liquid manure acidification in terms of both appearance and safety.

Digital customer experiences still a key focus Over the last few years, Vogelsang has dedicated itself largely to the issue of digitalization and its digital offering has been expanded to include further virtual 360-degree showrooms.

This way, those who are interested in the segments of wastewater, agricultural technology, and biogas can find information on the Vogelsang product range that

functions interactively. This year, the company is planning a further two showrooms in the areas of industry and transportation.

Harald Vogelsang: “We are delighted to support our customers in their work with our technology and advice. To do so, we are continuing to invest in the areas of research and development, production, and in the digitalization of marketing and sales.”

Lycetts proud to be part of newly named Group Rural insurance broker Lycetts is aiming to help reach a £250 million charity target as part of ambitious plans of rebranded parent company, Benefact Group.

The Group, formerly known as Ecclesiastical Insurance Group – the fourth biggest corporate charity donor in the UK1 – hopes to hit the target by 2025.

The new name2 and brand identity has been chosen to reflect its diversity, breadth and purpose more accurately.

‘Benefact’ derives from the Latin for ‘to do well by supporting a person or good cause’.

Lycetts, which supports a range of farming and rural charities, will continue to operate under its own name, as will more than 30 other 128

specialist financial businesses within the Group.

Charles Foster, CEO of Lycetts, said: “We are proud to be part of a group that is committed to improving lives and communities, and whose individual trading brands share the same high ethical standards. Each of us is united in the belief that better business can be a force for good, giving hope and help to those who most need it.

Integrity matters.”

Originally created to protect parish churches from fire, the Group is owned by registered charity, Benefact Trust, and has been in existence for more than 130 years. During that time, it has grown to become an international family of three divisions –

insurance, investments and broker and advisory – with operations in the UK, Ireland, Canada and Australia.

In recent years, the Group has given more than £100 million of its available profits to good causes through various programmes such as the Movement for Good awards, which accepts charitable nominations from both its customers and the wider public.

The Group’s giving supports a wide range of causes across different sectors including education and skills, rural, heritage, arts, faith, climate change, animal and wildlife charities.

Alongside the support Lycetts gives to Group charities, it has raised money for rural and

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

farming charities including RABI (Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution) and YANA (You Are Not Alone).

Mark Hews, Group Chief Executive at Benefact Group, added: “Benefact Group is a very different financial service group.

We are owned by a charity which means all our available profits can be given to good causes.

“As a company whose purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society, charitable giving is at the heart of what we do. I’m very proud of our new name which reflects our unique purpose, the breadth of our offering to our trading partners and marks an ambitious new chapter for the Group and our family of specialist businesses.”

machinery New Holland Agriculture announces dealer network changes in Scotland Agricar Ltd will expand their territory on the east coast to cover the Fife area.

Bryson Tractors Ltd will expand their territory to Ayrshire and West Lothian.

Lloyd Ltd will expand their territory to Mid Lothian and East Lothian.

Lloyd Ltd will move into the existing Lothian NH Ag depot at Macmerry industrial estate, Tranent for an initial period with a view to locating to a larger facility in the area in the near future. Staff have been offered employment with Lloyd Ltd. Lloyd Ltd continue to operate from their existing two New Holland Agriculture depots in southern Scotland and the Borders at Kelso and Dumfries.

In addition to their Lanark depot, subject to completion of contracts, Bryson Tractors will take ownership of the current Agricar depot in Dundonald providing customers in the area a continuity of service. Many of the staff in the depot will move to Bryson Tractors to further enhance this continuity.

Agricar will continue to offer the full range of New Holland products and parts from all existing depots in Forfar, Stirling, Perth, Laurencekirk and Blairgowrie and will open a new depot in the Fife area in the near future. Details of this will be announced separately.

Ravenhill Ltd based in Elgin will continue to cover the north of Scotland.

Pat Smith, New Holland Business Director for UK commented: “We are delighted that these three companies with a long trading history have each expanded to enhance our already excellent coverage in

Scotland. It provides to them all the critical mass to invest and grow their businesses fit for the future. Importantly it provides our many customers in Scotland with continuity and exceptional service for many years to come.”

New 15m Premium Plus Duo dribble bar launched by SlurryKat

SLURRYKAT in Northern Ireland has just launched a new 15m Premium Plus Duo dribble bar, the largest one in the company’s vertical folding range to date.

As demand from customers over the past two years for a larger 15m dribble bar was increasing SlurryKat took the decision to up the ante and develop exactly what they wanted.

The Air Compressor and Pressure Washer Specialists

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

Nationwide DELIVERY on all orders

130

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

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

machinery The transport height of the new 15m dribble bar is 3.2m, the same as the 7.5m version, which is a key example of how engineering and innovation keeps SlurryKat one step ahead.

The booms on the new 15m machine are angled inwards which means they can avoid any low lying branches or trees when in transport mode.

It is the only 15m dribble bar on the market that can carry the SlurryKat Bak-Pak hose reeling system, which runs 1,200m of hose for umbilical use.

The booms boast a novel tri-folding design so the outer booms can fold round followed by the inner booms. The machine then lifts vertically into the transport position.

Looking at the performance of the new 15m Premium Plus Duo dribble bar, the prototypes and the first full production machines operate a respectable

flow rate of up to 300 cubic metres per hour, around 60,000 gallons per hour.

SlurryKat CEO Garth Cairns said: “This is generation three of our Duo dribble bars which follow on from the huge success of the 7.5m to 12m Duo dribble bar range, which we brought to the market in late 2020. That followed the first and very popular Duo range that we first introduced in 2008.”

Latest Massey Ferguson MF 3 Speciality Series

Massey Ferguson is proud to announce the introduction of its latest MF 3 Speciality Series.

This comprehensive new range includes six variants designed

specifically to provide the dimensions, specifications and power that precisely match the particular demands of each specialist sector.

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Equipped to a high standard, MF 3 Speciality Series tractors deliver exactly the right features for straightforward, comfortable operation and optimum

131

machinery performance with low running costs.

“Thanks to our close contact with customers and decades of experience we have a deep understanding of these specialist sectors. This knowledge ensures our designs meet the particular needs of each individual sector, so customers don’t have to make any compromises,” says Jérôme Aubrion, Director Marketing Massey Ferguson, Europe & Middle East.“High value crops, often cultivated in tight spaces and on difficult terrain present particular challenges for growers. MF 3 Speciality Series

tractors offer a range of features that are specially tailored to meet the exact requirements for each cropping situation. At the same time they also offer operators much greater comfort and ease of use,” adds Mr Aubrion.

The MF 3 Specialist Series includes six different versions, with a new top, 120hp model available for all the variants apart from MF 3GE and MF 3AL models. The full range offers models with cabs or a platform, a choice transmissions including a new 30F/15R Eco as well as the option of Essential or Efficient specification.

New electric drive drill from Kuhn

KUHN Farm Machinery has launched a new mechanical seed drill with electric drive. The Sitera e has a 3-metre working width with an electric motor to provide variable rate functionality through a HELICA fluted roller.

“The addition of electric drive to the Sitera range offers easier and faster calibration on the move. This new range can be programmed using ISOBUS, the VT30 terminal or KUHN’s CCI 800 and 1200. Operators

can therefore make adjustments at the push of a button rather than having to leave the cab,” explains product specialist Edd Fanshawe.

The HELICA distribution with helical fluted roller also

enables variable rate and headland shut off on the move.

“Seed application rates of 1.5kg/ha to 450kg/ha of all seed varieties can be applied precisely without changing or dismantling any parts which will save time,

WILKS BROTHERS Main dealers in Perthshire for DEUTZ FAHR Tractors

Sales • Service • Parts Repairs for a wide range of Agricultural Machinery

Murthly, Perthshire, PH1 4HG Tel: 01738 710381 Fax: 01738 710581 132

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

machinery reduce waste, and increase seed application accuracy,” he adds.

The seed application rate modulation can be adjusted manually or automatically by GPS when using an ISOBUS terminal with TC-GEO functionality. Using section control functionality, the seed drill will also start and stop automatically by GPS on the headland.

The 3-metre machine has three models enabling operators

to choose between the Suffolk coulter (3010), disc (3020) or parallelogram mounted SEEDFLEX (3030) options.

“Each is compatible with the HR 1020, 1030, and 1040 series power harrows which feature a quick-release interface for fast coupling and uncoupling of the seed drill. For higher working speeds of up to 15kph on light soils and in plant residues there is also a CD 1020 seedbed cultivator option,” he concludes.

Fentons of Bourne celebrates 35th anniversary Fentons of Bourne Ltd, the familyowned agricultural, estate and turf maintenance equipment supplier, recently celebrated its 35th anniversary with an Open Day at its head office in Kate’s Bridge near Bourne in Lincolnshire.

The event featured working demonstrations from manufacturers including Avant, Becx, Etesia, Farmtrac, Husqvarna, Homburg, Iseki, Major and more.

Commenting on his company’s milestone, Glen Bellamy said:

“We are very proud that we have reached this milestone for the business. We have survived the precarious nature of various business cycles, the latest being the Covid pandemic, but we are still here and stronger than ever.

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

I think our longevity is a combination of excellent customer service, the ability to adapt in a dynamic marketplace and a dedicated and loyal staff with unparalleled knowledge of the products we represent.

133

machinery Kubota announces further expansion with Lister Wilder

We enjoyed celebrating the last 35 years with so many of our customers and suppliers. We were particularly delighted by the

surprise arrival from Holland of our suppliers Homburg Draincleaners and Becx Mechanical Hedge Trimmers and Weed Control.”

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Subscription page 123 New issue out July 2022

134

Kubota (UK) Ltd is pleased to announce that Lister Wilder is to further widen its geographical area, reaching

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

into parts of South West of England.

This progressive extension of its sales area and customer

machinery base, will see the dealership expand into Somerset to support agricultural and ground care customers across the South West of England from its newest Kubota centre, located at Keynsham, Bristol.

“Lister Wilder’s expansion further strengthens Kubota’s commitment to its customers and the markets in which our business operates,” says Henry Bredin, general manager of Kubota (UK)’s Tractor

Business Unit. “This move sees Lister Wilder continue to strengthen its partnership with Kubota, as it actively supports a wider customer base in both agricultural and ground care sectors.”

Combined Powers…

Krone and Lemken present autonomous system

Combined Powers is the name of a joined Krone / Lemken project and design concept – the autonomous ‘process unit’ that consists of a drive unit and various implements. After passing trials in cultivating, ploughing, sowing, mowing, tedding and raking last year, innovative concept will be integrated in the well-proven forage harvesting and tillage systems of the two companies.

Using a diesel-electric drive that generates up to 170kW (230hp), the drive unit is designed to meet the power input requirements of the implements used in the processes above.

The drive power is transferred electrically to the wheels and the pto and from there to the implement which couples to a three-point linkage. The drive unit boasts multiple and extensive sensor systems which monitor the immediate surroundings and the implement attached, ensuring safe operation and optimum results as the primary objectives.

Operators control and monitor the combination from a mobile device, transmitting jobs and job reports via a communication module and the agrirouter, the established data exchange hub.

The speciality of the process unit is that it is controlled by the implement and not vice versa.

This detail was considered imperative for achieving optimum results. The implement and the drive unit act as one integrated smart system. Based on the long experience in the application of ISOBUS and TIM 136

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

machinery on Krone and Lemken machines, the drive unit and implement communicate and interact, sharing literally all types of data.

The Combined Powers design concept also brings further benefits, because it was also developed to counter the increasing shortage of skilled labour in agriculture. Also, it will free farmers from spending those long days in the field.

Instead, they will become system

operators who merely monitor the process unit which delivers a consistently accurate quality of work. Thanks to its enormous versatility, the unit is designed for year-round work and a long service life. Intensive trialling in all types of conditions and seeking feedback from farmers and contractors will continue this year.

Further information is available at www.combined-powers.com

TORION agricultural wheel loaders from CLAAS CLAAS has introduced the TORION 530, a new 46hp entry-level model in their range of compact articulated wheel loaders for agriculture.

In addition, the TORION 535 and TORION 639 models also receive more engine power.

The CLAAS range of small TORION wheel loaders with articulated steering now includes three models with engine outputs of 46 to 74 HP. As a new entry-level model the TORION 530, which is powered by a 46 hp Yanmar four-cylinder engine with 2.2l displacement, complements the price list. The hydraulic system delivers 61 l/min at 230 bar and enables an articulated tipping load of 3,000 kg. The parallel-guided

Z-kinematics of the conical mast allows for a bucket pivot point of 3.18m to be dumped over heights of up to 2.82m and maximum reach of 1.46m.

The mast and attachment are conveniently operated using a joystick. Alternatively, the two additional control circuits can be controlled using an additional lever or at the push of a button.

On the larger TORION 535 and TORION 639 models, power from the 2.1 l Yanmar four-cylinder engine has been increased to 74 hp. They are now optionally available with either standard or High-Lift Z-kinematics. In the standard version, overreach heights of 2.82m (TORION 535) or 2.98m (TORION 639) can be achieved,

while the High-Lift version can reach 2.97m to 3.18m.

Depending on the version, the bucket pivot point is between 3.19m and 3.54m. Maximum reach is from 1.49m to 1.71m.

With a hydraulic delivery volume of 70 or 80 l/min, the articulated tipping load of the TORION 535 is 3,500 kg (High-Lift: 3,300 kg) and on the TORION 639 it’s 3,900 kg (High-Lift: 3,600 kg).

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Next issue out July 2022 Subscription page 123

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

137

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

Heather Kelman Food Standards Scotland has welcomed Heather Kelman as the organisation’s new Chair.

Heather, who takes over as Chair from Ross Finnie, has been a member of the FSS board since its creation in 2015 and brings more than 40 years’ public sector experience, including 10 years as a dietitian, and most recently as a strategic planner and senior manager within the NHS. Heather’s previous role, where health protection, promoting positive health and wellbeing, and addressing health inequalities, dominated her agenda ensures she is fully equipped to meet the demands of her new position.

Matthew Steel Matthew Steel has been confirmed as the new Chair of NFU Scotland’s Next Generation Committee, replacing Orkney’s Peter Moss who held the post since 2017.

Matthew grew up on, and now manages, his family farm in Forfar where they produce potatoes, combinable crops, and free-range eggs. The family also have a few different interests in renewables on farm, including a wind turbine, biomass boiler, solar panels, and a ground source heat pump. An active member of the Union, Matthew has sat on the Next Generation Committee for the past 5 years.

Hamish Stenhouse Origin Fertilisers has added to its young team of in-house nutrition agronomists with the appointment of Hamish Stenhouse to cover Scotland and the Borders.

Mr Stenhouse’s appointment is part of a trio of recent additions to Origin’s regional nutrition agronomist advisors, with all three recruits hailing from practical farming backgrounds.

A graduate of Harper Adams, Mr Stenhouse has spent the past six years working for a well-known farming operation in Tayside, and during that time rose to the role of assistant manager and says his experiences here stand him in good stead for his new post.

“I’ve spent a lot of time operating a fertiliser spreader and developed a keen interest in how the products I was applying affected the plant. I worked across a wide range of soil types, which meant we regularly had to adapt our soil and crop nutrition programmes to cater for the different areas.”

Rob Adamson As part of its drive to provide solutions not inputs, leading agronomy firm ProCam has recruited Rob Adamson as technical development manager.

With UK farmers facing new agronomic challenges and opportunities, Mr Adamson will be pivotal in supporting the company’s wider technical department and UK-wide team of agronomists. Key to his role is ensuring ProCam maintains a comprehensive portfolio of solutions to support growers in balancing a need for farming systems that are both sustainable and profitable.

“As an industry, we have an exciting pipeline of innovative products – including new fungicides and herbicides – which we are evaluating to help growers achieve the best results,” says Mr Adamson.

138

THE BOOK SHELF Children of the Dead End

By Patrick McGill

This month, lose yourself in a book set in the harsh working landscape of Scotland in the early 1900s ¬– Children of the Dead End, Patrick MacGill’s semi autobiographical first novel. MacGill’s high-spirited protagonist, Dermod Flynn, finds himself labouring one of the most ambitious energy projects of the day, the Kinlochleven hydro-electric scheme, but his journey to get there is long and arduous. Dermod spends his early youth in County Donegal, Ireland, living in a small house with his parents and younger siblings.

Every penny his parents earn goes to line the pockets of the wealthy local landowner and the corrupt clergy. At the young age of twelve, Dermod has no choice but to travel to County Tyrone and sell his labour for less than one pound a month to farmers in the region. MacGill describes in harrowing detail the hardships that young Dermod must face in order to send wages home to his family.

Nevertheless, Dermod passes many evening hours discovering a passion for reading and writing, and his adventurous heart begins to seek broader, better horizons. He joins a company of travelling potato-pickers and crosses the Irish Sea into western Scotland to work for a season. His romantic notions of courtship, purity, and providing are deeply challenged during this time, where he faces the betrayal of his first love and gambles away his earnings. Dermod must beg for any food and work he can find, until he seizes the opportunity to join the labour force on the Kinlochleven hydro-electric scheme. A dangerous and unregulated mission, many lives are lost in the process.

Children of the Dead End is a vital look into the lives of the Irish and Scottish working class at the start of the twentieth century.

MacGill brings an important and often unsung period of history to life through tapping into his own experiences. Indeed, in the foreword to the novel, he confirms “Most of my story is autobiographical.”

Children of the Dead End was originally published during a time where such stories were not regularly heard, and even today, education around the working conditions for labourers in the early 1900s, especially the tragedies of child servitude, is often lacking.

Introducing this new edition of the classic novel is renowned author Patrick Baker. His books include The Cairngorms: A Secret History and The Unremembered Places: Exploring Scotland’s Wild Histories, which was shortlisted for the Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature. Baker’s preface to Children of the Dead End offers modern commentary on the raw and troubling tale MacGill weaves, compounded by his own love of unearthing forgotten Scottish geography and history.

Certainly, the landscape, from wild and jagged hills to wet and dense farmland, are almost as alive as the vivid personalities MacGill portrays in this story. For seekers of a meaningful tale, rich in the history of this region, Children of the Dead End is an essential read.

Children of the Dead End is published by Birlinn (£9.99, paperback) www.birlinn.co.uk

www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com