LANDOWNERS...

We are here to offer you THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS!

We will work with you, helping you towards developing your land into an income generating asset that can provide additional income streams for your business.

The benefits include:

• Diversifying revenue streams away from farming or other land uses

• Deploying solar power or wind turbines on your available land

• Maintaining agricultural use through sheep grazing when possible

We are looking for sites between 50 acres and 200 acres, ideally close to a nearby grid connection Land should be relatively flat and Grade 3 or lower

Well screened by hedges and a good distance from residential property Not in a valued landscape or near historic buildings

We have a team of experienced, highly proficient renewable energy experts. They have an extensive record which encompasses the following:

Land Acquisition

Investment

Construction

Energy Storage

Planning and Permitting Grid Solutions

Power Engineering & Grid Connections

Operation and Maintenance

If you would like to discuss how to potentially earn a secure and long-term predictable income stream from your land, please get in touch and contact us on:

2023: Potentially a year of opportunities, but only if you make sure you’re prepared

anything this year, we make sure we have the courage to ask when we don’t understand.

As we progress through 2023, I wonder how many of you have already given up on your resolutions? So asks Open eld’s head of compliance, shipping and research, Cecilia Pryce.

But what about the childhood resolution (that infamous Scout motto) to ‘be prepared’ – two words many of us live by, whether it’s taking the right coat or making sure you have a spare for something, because you never know when it pays o – but how many of you use it when it comes to marketing your grain?

In my mind, it’s just as important as ‘don’t assume – check’ but, what are you preparing for and what are you checking? Over the last few years, we have seen the grain markets move in unprecedented ways, but it didn’t mean you couldn’t be prepared or check on things.

I agree that pandemics and wars are not what any of us would normally prepare for, but by knowing what you have to sell, what price you need for it and when you need any cash, is a good place to start. If you then add your, and the farm’s, risk pro le and as many details as you can gain on the market, you can make a marketing plan and be prepared to action it.

Similarly, if you spend time walking your grain and reading your contract terms, along with sampling your grain and recording its quality etc. you are being prepared and assuming less. But sometimes we forget the basics and cut corners which, ultimately, usually leads to panic and a nancial cost – which no business needs. business needs.

One such knowledge gap is about carbon. How many of you really know why your Red Tractor status says ‘REDII Compliant’ and what ‘NUTS2 UKF2’ (or similar) really means?

2023 will bring with it many opportunities, but consider whether use the dark hours to be prepared to embrace what is

I believe that 2023 will bring with it many opportunities, but consider whether you are taking time to use the dark hours to be prepared to embrace what is thrown at us.

Similarly, how many of you are knowingly not checking something because you can’t be bothered? If these sentences hurt, I suggest you are not alone and furthermore I suggest there are many sitting in Westminster and positions of power who may feel the same!

In recent months I have unearthed a rather large number of ‘knowledge gaps’ created largely by not checking facts or even assuming – not checking. I urge that if we do

And, as such, how many growers know they have a default carbon number for their wheat and rapeseed? In this case, UKF2 would be 313gCO2eq/kg wheat or 770g if rapeseed.

Similarly, the RED stands for the Renewable Energies Directive – Section 8 on the crop’s passport, which most growers sign and is a legislation regarding carbon requirements for crops going into biofuels, the land they are grown on and was instigated back in 2018.

In conclusion, you have a ‘default’ carbon number for your crops, but the question is, how are you preparing to make it personal to your farm and what are you checking for in 2023?

Fertiliser matters

Making use of the tools and services available, when it comes to helping

Price indicator (Mar 2023)

£218

£208

£442–447

The Openfield Partnership: More than just grain

Feed wheat

Feed barley

Oilseed rape

Our weekly grain market report is available as a podcast.

Why not listen to ourlatest views* on the Wheat, Malting Barley, OSR and Pulses markets and get the latest prices too? Simply search for“Openfield – OpenView” on Spotify, ACAST, iTunes and Amazon Music.

*Content is updated every Thursday evening to ensure you’re always in the know.

with nitrogen use e ciency, can be a way of ensuring we are applying product in the most cost-e ective manner, comments Open eld’s fertiliser manager, Lucy Hassall. Not enough nitrogen leads to potential yield losses whilst over applying increases the risk of leaching.

Services such as the soil N-check allows growers to not only access the nitrogen that is currently present in the soil, but also how much will be additionally available during the growing season.

Comparing data so far for January with the same time last year, early indications show there is slightly less soil mineral nitrogen with 31kg N/ha in 2022 and 28.5kg N/ha in 2023.

With limited options on nitrogen products this season, some growers have switched away from traditional products and it is recommended that a tray test is carried out to determine the most e cient settings for your combination of machine and product for optimum application. FG

Stay Close To The Crop With Leeb Sprayers

Our high-precision crop care technology provides targeted protection of the crops for reliable and healthy yields. BoomControl ensures precision spraying, less than 30cm from the crop at speed and over hilly terrain. Reduce drift and maximise inputs with BoomControl, available across the entire Leeb sprayer range.

Mixed farming approach delivers soil and human health benefits

A farmer from Forfar has maintained pro tability and improved soil health after introducing sheep to his arable rotation.

Hugh Black and four other farmers, make up the Soil Regenerative Agriculture Group, working alongside Farming For a Better Climate (FFBC), delivered by SAC Consulting, to establish how best to support, enhance and protect their farm soils.

Three years ago, Mr Black started working with a grazier to introduce sheep into his rotations and has been reaping a multitude of bene ts from the process.

SAC consultant Zach Reilly, who leads on the work with the Soil Regenerative Agriculture Group, said: “For Hugh, everything has been about striking a balance between improving yields, protecting his soils, while maintaining pro tability.

“Introducing sheep has proved a win-win. He has been able to cut back on chemical fertilisers, improve his soil structure and it has allowed him to sow earlier to take advantage of establishing his crops in better weather.”

To hear more, growers are invited to attend an event at Backboath Farm on 9th February for an overview of the group’s progress, trials and experiences. For more information and to register for your free ticket, visit www. farmingforabetterclimate. org/about-us/events/

New muirburn training scheme a “step forward” for land managers

A new training scheme to promote best practice in the use of muirburn has been backed by Scotland’s estates. Organised by Lantra and recognised by NatureScot, Scotland’s nature agency, the training course is designed for those who will take part in land management activities that use re as a tool.

Muirburn is the controlled burning of moorland vegetation to encourage new growth (either heather or grassland) for the management of moorland game and wildlife or for improving the grazing potential of the moorland for livestock or deer. Muirburn is also used to maintain moorland landscapes and habitats, and to reduce the risk of damage to habitats from wild res.

Supported by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the online module will cover the requirements of the existing Muirburn Code including

New Scottish farming event to help businesses take positive steps for their future

A new event has been announced for 2023. The Future Farming Expo Scotland event will be held on 10–11th October 2023 at the P&J Live venue in Aberdeen.

With the fabric of primary agricultural production in Scotland – and elsewhere –being drastically reshaped in recent years, it is now more important than ever to help producers prepare for the future, become more sustainable and manage innovation for change. where and when muirburn can be carried out, restrictions on the practice and the required noti cations before muirburn can take place. Participants will then undertake a practical module. with assessment via direct observation and knowledge checks.

Future Farming Expo Scotland has been developed after in-depth research with Scottish farming businesses. The Expo aims to help Scottish farmers, advisors and rural businesses become more resilient, look at ways to re-think their businesses and face challenges head-on.

For more information, visit: www. rescotland.gov. uk/news/2023/january/newcourse-sets-the-standard-oncontrolled-burning-for-landmanagers/

Crawfords Group takes on the Opico range of machinery

Opico has announced that the Crawfords Group will be joining its established dealer network.

Wes Crawford, managing director at Crawfords Group, commented: “We are a family-run business. Maintaining our high level of customer service and company values is as important today as it was 40 years ago. We’ve found that Opico’s vision aligns with our own and, of course, it helps that they o er a premium machinery portfolio to complement our existing range! Our team are really looking forward to learning about the machines and can’t wait to demonstrate them to our customers.”

“Working with Crawfords is a win-win situation,” says Opico sales director, Charles Bedforth. “A cornerstone in our strategy is to partner with leading dealers throughout the country. In Wes and his team, we believe we will create a long-term relationship for the bene t of both companies but especially for Crawford and Agwood customers.”

Crawfords Group will sell Opico grain dryers, mechanical weeding, arable and grassland equipment, alongside He-Va cultivation and grassland machines, Sky drills (Agwoods only) and Strautmann forage and feeding wagons.

Young Scots auctioneers graduate with IAAS fellowships

The Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland (IAAS) has welcomed three new fellows and three new associates into its membership.

“This will not be another run-of-the-mill conference where visitors will be talked at,” explains Emma Penny, event producer for Future Farming Expo. “Instead, it will be dynamic, practical and o er attendees the chance to bring their own issues forward for in-depth, one-to-one discussion with other farmers, exhibitors and experts.”

After four years of Covid-interrupted study, young auctioneers Ellis Mutch of Aberdeen and Northern Marts (ANM) and Aimie Bisset and Sam Ferguson, both of Dingwall and Highland Marts were all awarded the Certi cate of Higher Education in Livestock Market Operations and Management by Harper Adams University and, along with it, Fellowship of the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland.

Ellis Mutch was also awarded the MJ Thomson Award as the top graduating IAAS student.

The institute at the same time awarded three new associate memberships to Michael Craig of James Craig Ltd, Joel McGarva of Harrison and Hetherington and Murray Steel of United Auctions after all three completed their rst two years of study.

IAAS executive director Neil Wilson, said he was very pleased to extend these new fellowships and associateships.