Improved grassland performance, combined with technology and a change in breed policy, has helped raise farm output and profitability at Girtridge Farm, Kilmarnock.
Girtridge Farm is one of nine monitor farms established in Scotland as part of a joint initiative by QMS and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds, with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the monitor farm programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
John Howie runs the 175ha farm in a family partnership with mother Margaret and sister, Mary. Since the start of the programme, the suckler cows have been sold and the focus has shifted to expanding the ewe flock and improving efficiencies across the 220-250 head of stores and finishers
Speaking at the final meeting of the three year monitor farm programme, John Howie told attendants that involvement in the initiative had helped him to make informed business decisions. As a result, net farm output has increased by 66%, whilst gross profit has risen from -12% of output to +12% of output. The farms carbon footprint has also been reduced by 26%.
John Howie commented; “I feel the business is in a better position,” he said. “Before, the farm was a family farm and that’s fine, but now it’s a business. We look at the farm’s potential and maximise output and profit off every acre.”
Rotational grazing, combined with routine liming and reseeding, has helped boost grassland performance, enabling ewe numbers to be increased from 135 to 500. This has led to a 46% increase in stocking rates to 3.75LU/ha. Lambs have also achieved daily live weight gains of 377g/day on grass alone to eight weeks.
John has also undertaken a full change in sheep breeding policy to make better use of grass. This has involved changing from Mule and Texel x ewes to predominately Aberfield x Lleyn animals. Following a trial with different terminal sires, the business has also shifted towards using Abermax tups, rather than Suffolks or Texels.
John explained: “Looking at the death register and 100 day growth rates, the Suffolks were growing the fastest but had the highest losses. The Abermax had slightly lower growth, but less losses. That’s why we went down the Abermax route.”
Silage quality has also improved, thanks to having younger leys and cutting earlier. At 11.8ME and 15% crude protein, this has helped reduce the cost of the beef finisher ration, leading to his feeders margin increasing by 0.12p/head/day. Improved ventilation in the cattle sheds and better water provision has also boosted intakes and raised growth rates. John is also choosing younger, heavier stores so they get away quicker. All this has helped lower age at slaughter from around 27 months to 22 months.
With John providing the majority of the labour on the farm himself, cattle handling had always been an issue, meaning that management tasks to help assess performance weren’t always prioritsed. Through the Monitor Farm Scotland project, the community group and management group co-designed a new cattle handling set up, that the Howies have since built. This new cattle handling set-up includes weigh bars which means that they are now able to track growth rates. Combining this with EID management tags and a UHF reader also allows paperless, automatic recording and tracking.
John said: “As we finish cattle, everyone asks which animals are best and it’s an impossible question to answer. By recording daily live weight gains, we can track feed conversion efficiencies and identify the poorer performers in our herd. That will influence the type of cattle we buy or sell. It’s about refining our system and being really efficient, especially when margins are so tight.”
Monitor Farm facilitator, Raymond Crerar from SAC Consulting said there is no doubt that the business is in a better position.
“John has significantly increased his output with minimal additional capital expenditure,” said Raymond. “He’s still farming the same land, but the efficiencies we’ve made has allowed him to increase output and profitability on the same fixed cost structure.”
As a new and ambitious farm business, involvement in the Monitor Farm programme has provided the technical support to drive sustainable expansion at Clonhie Farm, Nithsdale.
Over the three-year programme, Andrew and Aileen Marchant have drawn on the advice of the Monitor Farm network to boost output per hectare. This has led to improvements in grassland management, resulting in an 18% uplift in dry matter yield per hectare,and allowed ewe stocking rates to be increased by 30% and a herd of deer to be introduced. The farm’s carbon footprint has subsequently dropped by 25%.
“The Monitor Farm programme has given us a better understanding of how to intensify our business sustainably and in a profitable manner,” explained Mr Marchant at the final meeting of the programme.
Clonhie Farm is one of nine monitor farms established in Scotland as part of a joint initiative by QMS and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds, with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the monitor farm programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The Marchants started out as new entrants in 2012. Since then, they have undergone rapid expansion on the 300ha farm, which is owned by the Buccleuch Estate. Having started with 12 sheep, they now have a flock of 1,000 ewes, 30 pedigree Luing cows and 175 red deer.
Throughout the Monitor Farm programme, the family has adopted a multi-pronged approach to increasing performance. This has focused on grassland management and ewe genetics.
Lime has been applied to some of the farm’s best ground to raise soil pH and grassland has been improved by direct drilling. Rape and kale are now used as an entry for a full grass reseed, whilst providing cost-effective winter keep.
Rotational grazing, rather than set-stocking, has also benefited grass yields. Deferred grazing, where grassland is shut up from the end of August until January/February, has proved a revelation and reduced the cost of keeping ewes in condition through the winter.
Mr Marchant explained: “When we tested the grass on 21st January, crude protein was 21% at 11.2ME. To buy that level of concentrate would be expensive. It’s been a real eye opener for everyone in the group.”
Better grass quality has reduced concentrate requirements and subsequently costs, although Mr Marchant explained that he is not afraid to feed, as long as the sums add up.
“We’re a lot more targeted with feed and fertiliser now. I’ve always had the mentality that everything we do has to show a return, but we’re a bit more thorough and more scientific. We’ve just upped our game,” Mr Marchant added.
A change in ewe breeding policy is also part of the farm’s long-term goals to make better use of forage and improve output. The Marchants have now closed the flock and are moving away from North Country Cheviot x Lleyns and Texel x ewes to Aberfields and Highlanders. Targeted culling is also being adopted to ensure they only breed replacements from the best animals. This was also identified as a crucial strategy to reduce lameness.
Having faced ‘The Beast from The East’ in 2018 and identified triclabendazole resistance in ewes the following season, lambing percentages are yet to improve. However, Mr Marchant is confident about the future. “We expect to see benefits on the bottom line in the next 2-3 years. We’re very positive and happy about where we are,” he said.
Programme facilitator, Judith Hutchinson, said the farm had made big strides by addressing numerous small things that created a “multiplier effect”.
“It’s multifactorial. I believe Andrew is on the brink of taking off. I think there will be considerable improvements in financial performance, productivity, sustainability and environmental footprint over the next few years,” she told the group.
The ability to draw on the support of industry experts and the Shetland Islands farming community, has been the main benefit of the Monitor Farm programme for Kirsty and Aimee Budge.
“It’s given us tonnes of support and helped with how we make business decisions,” said Aimee at the recent final meeting of the three-year programme. “The Monitor Farm Programme has made us look at our costs in greater detail and how we can reduce them so our business is more profitable.”
Kirsty and Aimee run 350 Shetland x Cheviot ewes, 200 pure Shetland ewes and 90 Saler and Shorthorn cows at Bigton Farm. The farm is one of nine monitor farms established in Scotland as part of a joint initiative by QMS and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds, with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the Monitor Farm programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farming and crofting businesses.
With farmers and crofters on Shetland facing some unique challenges, coming together through regular monitor farm meetings has helped with knowledge sharing and collaboration within the community. The initiative has brought all ages of the farming and crofting community together to find solutions to tackle key issues. Through the meetings, Aimee recognised a need to support fellow young farmers on the Islands and has subsequently set up The Shetland Young Farmers Club, which now has 35 members.
Kirsty told farmers and crofters attending the final meeting at Bigton Hall that the technical support available through the monitor farms network has enabled them to make big changes.
She explained how the pair have started using a plate meter to monitor grass and rotationally paddock graze, which has increased grass yields. This, together with taking on an additional 500-acre block of rented land, has allowed the business to increase suckler numbers by 20 and ewes by 310 head. This has gone hand-in-hand with starting to breed their own replacements.
At the beginning of the programme it was recognised that more needed to be done to help market smaller, traditionally lower value Shetland lambs from the Islands. The Shetland Hill Lamb Group has subsequently been set-up and lambs marketed for export to Europe for the Christmas markets. This has increased value by about £10-12/lamb.
Aimee said this developing market gave them confidence to take on the Shetland ewes as they knew they had an outlet for the pure lambs. Kirsty added: “The price was so poor before, but through this group you can add value to the product and it makes it worthwhile.”
Lambs from the crossbred flock are now sold deadweight, which has also increased returns. Selling beef direct to the consumer through a box scheme has also proved worthwhile.
Lambing losses from scanning to weaning have also reduced from 26% to 13% by grazing ewes and lambs on alternative grazing, away from cliff edges. The number of calves weaned has also increased from 81% to 93%. The aim is to increase weaning percentage further to dilute the business’s relatively high machinery costs. They’re also looking to out-winter in-calf heifers for an extra month by improving deferred grazing management.
The Budges also spoke about their involvement in a trial looking to improve barley yields on the Islands. The farm is one of a handful of barley producers on Shetland and receives significant income from selling grain in the area. Through the monitor farm programme they grew two acres of Salome barley and increased nitrogen inputs. However, having not applied a growth regulator, the crop lodged. Aimee explained that this was a learning curve and that they would trial it again this year with half the amount of nitrogen and ensure a growth regulator is applied.
Shetland Monitor Farm programme facilitator, SAC’s Graham Fraser, added: “Shetland as a whole has benefited from seeing what Bigton is doing and lots of farmers have taken bits home to give them a go. It’s helped encourage folk to be much more open about their own businesses and encouraged a much clearer exchange of ideas and experiences in Shetland.”
Local crofter, John A Abernethy, a regular attendee of the Shetland Monitor Farm meetings, told farmers and crofters attending the final meeting that the technical support available through the monitor farm network has enabled him to make major changes to his crofting business.
John commented: “The expertise we have been able to tap into through the programme has given us the confidence to go ahead and try new things.”
In 2019 John decided to change his system entirely, selling off his cross ewes and switching to Shetland ewes. He went out and bought hill ewes in the autumn of 2019 that were smaller, at an average of 35kgs.
Without the cross ewes there is a much-reduced demand for winter fodder and John is aiming to reduce the silage area from 11.1ha down to 2ha. This will cut his winter fodder from around 200 bales in an average year, to around 50 bales in future. This, combined with rotational grazing introduced in 2018 through advice gained from the Monitor Farm programme, will reduce his winter fodder costs from around £8,000 down to around £2,000.
“Communication and discussion at the Shetland monitor farm meetings has encouraged all participants to be much more open about their business,” added John
Being part of the Monitor Farm programme has been a huge success for the Stodart family at Mill of Inverarity farm, Inverarity, Forfar. They have changed just about everything on their farm for the better and become more profitable as a result.
Robert and Alison Stodart farm alongside their son Rory, with the support of his two siblings. They have a mixed farming business comprising of 125 breeding cattle, 300 finishing cattle, 700 breeding sheep, 4500 free range laying hens, and 287HA of arable land where spring barley, winter wheat, winter oilseed rape, turnips and fodder beet are grown.
Alison Stodart said: “Our farming business has changed out of all recognition since we became involved with the monitor farm programme in 2016. Our farm is a totally different place now to when we started and the process has given us all a lot of confidence as a family and how we work together. We have become more professional as farmers, it’s not just a way of life anymore, it is a business.
“The input and advice we have received from other farmers has been invaluable and has made our business more resilient. Being a monitor farmer has given us the confidence to change the way we do things. It has encouraged us to become better at planning ahead and as a result we have a much more structured crop rotation and marketing strategy in place; and have improved the fertility of our cattle.”
Mill of Inverarity is part of the Monitor Farm Scotland initiative, managed by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the Monitor Farm programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
Chris Leslie, Knowledge Exchange Manager (Arable) for AHDB in Scotland, said: “Traditionally the focus on the farm was more livestock orientated but the Stodarts have realised that fully integrating the enterprises brings benefits on both sides. They have had the whole farm soil mapped in the last three years with the help of Soil Essentials and they have brought the ph up to where it needs to be. As a result of this they have seen dramatically improved yields from their arable crops.”
Facilitator David Ross, from SAC Consulting, said: “Having facilitated the meetings over the last three years I have witnessed the ups and downs of the project and seen the business improve in both the livestock and arable enterprises. I would encourage all with an interest in improving their farm business to attend the final meeting which will look back at what has been learned and also to look forward to where the Stodart family want to take their business in the future.”
The Monitor Farm meeting will take place on Thursday 27 at Forfar Mart, 48 St John Street, Forfar, DD8 3EZ from 10.30 to 2.30.
The event is free of charge but please book a place by contacting SAC Consulting by phone 01569 762305 or email frbsstonehaven@sac.co.uk.
The Angus monitor farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established around Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds. It is 100 per cent funded by Scottish Government through the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund.
For more information about the monitor farm programme, visit www.monitorfarms.co.uk.
The final North Ayrshire Monitor Farm meeting, to be held at Girtridge Farm, Dundonald on Friday 28 February, will provide a valuable opportunity for the local farming community to hear about the impact of changes implemented over the three-year programme.
The 140-hectare enterprise, Girtridge Farm, run by John Howie in partnership with his mother and sister, has benefited from changes made during the programme, including the introduction of rotational grazing, modifying their cattle finishing system and increasing their sheep flock from 135 to 500.
Mr Howie said: “The Monitor Farm Project has really opened our eyes to the true potential of our farm, we have been able to focus on maximising every acre in terms of efficiency and profitability.
“The expertise we have been able to tap into has given us the confidence to go ahead and try new things. Through improved grazing and grassland management, we have been able to finish stock quicker and reduce feed costs, and as a result our business is in a much better position than when we started the project three years ago.” he commented.
At the final meeting, QMS Chair, Kate Rowell will talk about her time as a monitor farmer, and her experience since finishing the programme and the positive effect it has had on her farming business.
Raymond Crerar , North Ayrshire Monitor Farm Facilitator from SAC Consulting, said: “There has been tremendous support from the community group whose enthusiasm and innovative ideas have driven the success of this project at Girtridge.
“I would encourage all with an interest in improving their farm business to attend the final meeting which will look back at what has been learned and also to look forward to where the Howie family want to take their business in the future.”
The North Ayrshire Monitor Farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established across Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds, with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The final meeting at Girtridge Farm on Friday 28 February will begin at 10.30am. The meeting will also look at future options for the farm and aim to finish at 3:00pm. All are welcome and the event is free.
For catering purposes, those interested in coming along should confirm attendance by calling 01292 525252 or emailing FBSAyr@sac.co.uk
Farmers in the Lothians are invited to attend the final meeting of the Lothians monitor farm project on 4th February on the Preston Hall Estate, Pathhead.
At the meeting, monitor farmer Bill Gray from Preston Hall and Peter Eccles from Saughland Farm, will share key learnings, demonstrate the positive impact of the project and share what they plan to do in the future to demonstrate how they have benefited from their involvement in the three-year Monitor Farm project.
The final meeting will take place from 10.30 am to 3.30 pm and is open to everyone with an interest in farming and rural businesses. It will report on what has been achieved through the implementation of key initiatives including benchmarking and on-farm trials.
Chris Leslie, Knowledge Exchange Manager (Arable) for the AHDB in Scotland, said: “What Bill and Peter wanted from their involvement with the Monitor Farm Programme was to develop a blueprint of how collaboration should work between farms. They have integrated their businesses by applying a holistic approach to agricultural regeneration, sharing their resources to integrate livestock with arable and provide support to both farms year-round.”
Funded by Scottish Government and managed as a joint initiative by QMS and AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds, the aim of the Monitor Farm Project is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
Bill Gray said: “When we took up the challenge three years ago of joining the Monitor Farm programme we focused on arable farming with the majority of our pasture and grazing land farmed in collaboration with neighbouring farmers. We are now reaping the benefits of working collaboratively with Saughland Farm as we have been able to streamline the core arable business, whilst maintaining the benefits of having livestock on the farm and providing a habitat rich in wildlife.”
Facilitator, Colin MacPhail from CA MacPhail Consulting Ltd., said: “The final meeting will be a great opportunity to reflect on the impact of the project and share key learnings. We will provide an update from the farmers, discuss project milestones and then head up to see the collaboration field with the outwintered cattle. The meeting theme will be focused on collaboration and how we move forward and maximise the impact of the project.”
Iain Davidson of the Scottish Land Matching Service, Kate Rowell, Chair of Quality Meat Scotland, Claire Taylor from The Scottish Farmer and Neil Wilson from SAB Advisory, will all take part in a panel session in the afternoon, giving attendees the opportunity to ask questions and discuss key topics and industry issues.
The final meeting will take place on Tuesday 4th February, at Rosemains Farm, Tynehead, Pathhead EH37 5UG at 10.30 am (tea and coffee from 10am) followed by a farm Visit to Pitscave to view the Cattle Outwintering Project, followed by lunch at the Stair Arms EH37 5TX where the afternoon sessions and panel discussion until 3.30 pm will take place. To help with catering, please book by contacting colin@macphailconsulting.co.uk, or call 077470 46461
The Lothians monitor farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established around Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds. It is 100% funded by Scottish Government through the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation fund.
For more information about the monitor farm programme visit www.monitorfarms.co.uk
Farmers in Morayshire are invited to attend the final meeting of the Morayshire monitor farm programme on February 11, at Fochabers Public Institute.
At the meeting, monitor farmer Iain Green, from Corksie Farm, will talk about what he has learned over the three-year programme and share what he plans to do in the future.
The session will take place from noon to 4pm and is open to everyone with an interest in farming and rural businesses. It will report on what has been achieved through the implementation of key initiatives, including benchmarking and on-farm trials.
Chris Leslie, Knowledge Exchange Manager (Arable) for AHDB in Scotland, said: “During the three-year project the arable side of the farm has expanded considerably with more land taken on a contract farming basis to increase the area farmed. This has helped lower the costs of production and using AHDB’s online benchmarking tool, Farmbench, Iain has been able to identify the strengths and weaknesses that lie within his farm business.”
Funded by Scottish Government and managed as a joint initiative by QMS and AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds, the aim of the monitor farm programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
Iain Green said: “Being a monitor farmer has been a valuable process with tangible benefits across both livestock and arable enterprises on the farm. My farm business is more efficient and cost-effective as a result of many of the ideas that have been suggested at the group meetings and I am confident that the farm, and most importantly, the soils will be in better condition and better placed for whatever the future holds.
“Our management group has been very focussed on improving soil health, which is our biggest asset. The tyre pressure trial we conducted in 2017 was definitely one of the most useful projects we did in the three years of the programme as we analysed tyre pressure and the effect it has on soil compaction. As a result, the Corskie team now alters the tyre pressures in many of our tractors, particularly when completing arable work in wetter ground conditions.”
Facilitator Laura Henderson, from SAC Consulting, said: “The final meeting will be a great opportunity to reflect on the impact of the project and share key learnings. We will be looking at the results from our lamb feeding trial followed by an update on the Ritchie beef monitor system, a soil health review, review and reflections on the programme from Iain Green and the management group. Finally, there will be an opportunity to visit the bulls at Corksie that will be sold at the Stirling Bull Sales. Speakers include Ross Robertson, from Ritchies, Stewart Rothnie from Agrovista and Kate Rowell, Chair of Quality Meat Scotland.”
The Monitor Farm meeting will take place on Tuesday 11 February from noon to 4pm at the Fochabers Public Institute, 15 High Street, Fochabers, IV32 7EP
It is free of charge, but please book a place by contacting Laura Henderson 07788 568 691 or 01343 548787 or email laura.henderson@sac.co.uk
The Morayshire monitor farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established around Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds. It is 100 per cent funded by Scottish Government through the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund.
For more information about the monitor farm programme, visit www.monitorfarms.co.uk.
Farmers in Lochaber are invited to attend the final monitor farm meeting at Strone Farm on 20th February to hear first-hand about the changes that have resulted in an increase in profitability and efficiency on the 1200-hectare livestock farm.
Run by Chris Cameron in partnership with his father Malcolm, the family run 520 North Country Cheviot Ewes and a herd of 50 breeding Limousin cows at their farm near the Great Glen, one of Scotland’s highest rainfall areas.
Chris and Malcolm signed up as a monitor farm in 2016 and throughout the three years, they have made a wide range of improvements to their farming business including changing their grassland management, how they finish their lambs, and their approach to reseeding.
Chris Cameron said: “Our main aim at Strone has always been to maximise value of stock leaving the farm, and the best way to do this was to grow more grass. During the project we continued to move our ewes and lambs to summer in Inverness and took on a new tenancy locally, which lead to more summer grazing”
“This has resulted in year on year improvements, with lamb weaning percentage peaking at over 100% in 2019 for the first time. The extra grass has allowed us to increase the size of our pedigree Limousin herd by 20%”.
“The Monitor Farm project has allowed me to learn new techniques, find new grass seed mixes and discover different technologies to help drive the business forward” he added.
Attendees at the final meeting will also have the chance to hear from Jamie Blackett author of “Red Rag to a Bull: Rural Life in an Urban Age” who will discuss setting a vision for the future.
Niall Campbell, Lochaber Monitor Farm Facilitator from SAC Consulting, said: “The Monitor Farm programme has brought the local farming community together and provided access to experts and knowledge that will prove useful in driving their farming businesses forward.
“I would encourage everyone with an interest in improving their farm business to attend the final meeting which will cover the highlights and lessons learned throughout the three-year project.”
The Lochaber Monitor Farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established around Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds. The aim of the programme, which is funded by Scottish Government, is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The meeting on Thursday 20 February will be held at Strone Farm near Banavie, Fort William PH33 7PB and will begin at 12.00 noon. Lunch will be provided. The meeting is expected to finish by 4.30pm. All are welcome and the event is free.
For further information and to book your place (and lunch) please contact SAC Consulting on 01631 563093 or frbsoban@sac.co.uk
The many changes made by the Marchant family over the three-year Monitor Farm programme at Clonhie will be the focus of the final Nithsdale Monitor Farm meeting on Thursday 27th February.
Farmers in the area are encouraged to attend the meeting later this month, where monitor farmers Andrew and Aileen Marchant will look back at the impact the project has had on their farm and the lessons that they have learned.
Since opening the gates to Clonhie for the first monitor farm meeting back in January 2017, the Marchant family have made improvements throughout the business, particularly in regard to soil management, animal health and forage utilsation.
Clonhie is a 300 hectare beef and sheep farm based in the south west of Scotland. They have a herd of 30 Luing cows, an expanding herd of red deer and over 1000 breeding ewes.
The couple have been incredibly enthusiastic hosts and have welcomed large numbers of farmers and expert speakers onto their farm to share their ideas and follow the farm trials over three extremely busy years.
Andrew Marchant commented: “Being part of the Monitor Farm project has been a fantastic opportunity which has provided us with the confidence to make changes to our business based on facts and figures.
“At the start of the project our whole farm review revealed our fixed costs were high and there was significant scope for us to increase our output per hectare to help spread these costs.
“Through the Monitor Farm project we have been able to improve our livestock production, soil and pasture management and financial performance and as a result our business is in a much better position to cope with future challenges.”
One of Nithsdale Monitor Farm project facilitators, Judith Hutchison, is keen to encourage local farmers to attend the final meeting.
“We are very much looking forward to sharing all the key changes implemented at Clonhie during this very successful Monitor Farm Project,” said Mrs Huchison.
“The most powerful learning for farmers comes from other farmers. Seeing things actually happen on farm, following the results of changes made throughout the three-year project and having the opportunity to discuss and learn from both successes and failures has been the crux of this project.”
The final Nithsdale Monitor Farm meeting will begin at 10.30am on Thursday 27th February and will be held at Durisdeer Village Hall DG3 5BQ, where the Marchants will give an overview of the highlights of the projects.
Guest speaker Justin McCarthy, Editor of Farmer’s Journal, will discuss the opportunities and challenges for livestock producers over the next five years. He will be joined by QMS Chair, Kate Rowell who will talk about her time as a monitor farmer, her experience since finishing the programme and the positive effect it has had on her farming business.
The Nithsdale monitor farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established around Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds. The aim of the programme, which is funded by Scottish Government, is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
To book your place please contact facilitator Judith Hutchison on 07718 919055 or email judith.agridigm@icloud.com.
Being involved in the Monitor Farm Scotland programme has given the Mitchell family the confidence to make major changes to their farm business and help build the resilience needed to meet future challenges head on.
“As a result of approaching our business in a different way, we’re a lot more resilient and a lot more flexible,” commented Stuart Mitchell at the recent final meeting of their three-year Monitor Farm programme.
Whitriggs is one of nine Monitor Farms established in Scotland as part of a joint initiative by QMS and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds, with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the Monitor Farm programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
Over the course of the three-year programme, by making better use of inputs, reducing wastage and improving output, the Mitchells have reduced the carbon emissions associated with their cattle enterprise by 30%, and at the same time, their profitability has also increased to 38% of gross output.
The family run 170 Beef Shorthorn cross and Aberdeen Angus cross suckler cows and 300 deer across 442ha just outside Denholm in the Scottish Borders.
In 2018, Stuart took over the day-to-day management of the business, working alongside parents Robert and Lesley. Having the support of fellow farmers and industry experts as part of the Monitor Farm network has been instrumental in supporting Stuart during this succession phase.
“The meetings have been helpful in challenging my thoughts and giving me confidence in my decisions,” he said.
He explained to the 50 farmers and members of the local agricultural community attending the final meeting, that the family had made three main changes to the business over the course of the programme.
Firstly, the calving block has been condensed from ten to six weeks. In the first year this involved using synchronisation and artificial insemination to get late calvers calving at the start of the following block. Since then, stock bulls have been used. This has led to an increase in calving percentage, from 85% to 94% in the three-year period.
Stuart said: “Calves are a lot more uniform throughout the year, which makes routine work a lot easier as they’re roughly the same weight.”
Secondly, rather than finishing every animal, the Mitchells now decide whether to sell stock as stores or finished animals, depending on the market, therefore maximising returns, and output from the farm. Output from the beef enterprise has risen by 25% over the course of the Monitor Farm programme.
Finally, benchmarking the technical performance of the sheep flock at the start of the programme highlighted that sheep performance in the 1000-ewe flock was below average compared to similar systems. Working with vet Andrew Robinson, they screened the flock for Maedi Visna (MV) and discovered that some of the ewes were infected.
The flock was initially split into MV positive and negative groups, but when a high proportion in the negative group tested positive, they made the hard decision to cull all the ewes from the farm. Having already started a small deer herd, the Mitchells costed out business options with the Monitor Farms facilitators, and as a result the business is now increasing the numbers in the deer herd, rather than re-stocking with sheep.
The Borders Monitor Farm facilitator, Colin MacPhail from 5AgriGroup believes the Mitchells time as monitor farmers has been “a huge success”. He says the informal discussions and breakout sessions led by local farmers have been instrumental in ensuring everyone attending the events have left with practical, take home messages. Having a support network has also helped the Mitchells make significant changes.
“The business is more profitable than at the start. There are a few factors; they’re probably more conscious of cost, they’ve diversified into deer and their output has increased. Overall the business is just efficient, more profitable, and more sustainable,” commented Colin.