Grassland management and weed control will be the focus of the next Lochaber Monitor Farm meeting on Thursday 13 June.
The meeting, which will assemble at the Moorings, Fort William car park (PH33 7LY) at 11:30am, will discuss and debate how Strone Farm should go about managing some of the old and new grass swards to maximise returns to their livestock business.
Strone farm, Lochaber’s monitor farm in Banavie near Fort William, is run by father and son team Malcolm and Chris Cameron.
Chris and Malcolm Cameron have made it a priority to improve the grazing land at Strone with improvement already noted in soil health and grass production in targeted fields following soil tests. These fields have received lime and fertiliser applications, and been ploughed and reseeded with a grass and clover mix in order to improve both yield and quality. The next step is to make sure these new leys are efficiently managed for livestock grazing and silage production to see them through the winter.
The group will go on a mini-bus tour of Strone farm, stopping at the key grassland swards available for both grazing and silage for the 2019 season. The group will be tasked with deciding the best use of these fields for the coming season and going forward.
Joining the group at the meeting on Thursday 13 June are SRUC grassland agronomist David Lawson and Watson Seeds agronomist Andrew Best, who will be on hand to answer any questions and discuss the grass seed mixtures formulated to suit the needs of Strone farm. They will also discuss how best to manage any weeds appearing in the new leys.
“This is my first visit to Strone Farm and I’m really looking forward to meeting everyone and using my previous experience on monitor farms to help formulate mixtures that are suitable to the Argyll area,” said Mr Best.
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 13 June will start at the Moorings Hotel car park and will begin 11:30am and finish at 3:30pm. To book your attendance please contact facilitators Niall Campbell or George Gauley on 01631 563093 or email fbsoban@sac.co.uk.
The next Shetland monitor farm meeting on Saturday 8 June will focus on effectively managing change and experimenting with new ideas for farm businesses.
The meeting will start at the Ness Boating Club and then move to Scholland Farm where Monitor Farm Management Group Chairman, Jamie Leslie, will host the meeting and will update the community group on the crop trials he is running at his farm.
Mr Leslie, who farms in partnership with his father John with help from brother Alistair, cousin Steven, wife Louise, and his three children, runs 1000 ewes and 80 cows. He also contract farms at Sumburgh Farm.
Mr Leslie has been rotational grazing his livestock for a few years and has previously experimented with forage crops such as plantain and fodder beet. This year, along with Bigton Farm, the Lothians Monitor Farm Prestonhall Farms, and the Angus Monitor Farm Mill of Inverarity, Mr Leslie will trial Salome, a Scandinavian barley variety. He will also discuss his entry into the national Grass YEN (yield enhancement network) which is judged on the MJ of ME/ha over two silage cuts.
“We are looking forward to welcoming the community group back to Scholland, where we will follow up on our fodder beet trials from last season including costings and ewe performance. We will also have a look at the Salome barley and grass trials and discuss what we have tried to achieve with the trials and what procedures we have gone through,” said Mr Leslie.
Also speaking at the meeting will be Jim Logan from Pirntaton Farm, Galashiels. Pirntaton is a large upland livestock unit in the Scottish Borders extending to 540 hectares effective, where he runs 1,950 breeding ewes, 120 suckler cows and an expanding deer herd presently numbering 200 hinds. Mr Logan will speak about the process of change, focussing on the introduction of a more forage-based system and rotational grazing at Pirntaton which has enabled a significant increase in the size of his ewe flock as well as the addition of the deer enterprise.
“Change can be hard at the beginning, messy in the middle, but seldom not worth the effort in the end.”
At the meeting on Saturday 8 June, Kirsty and Aimee Budge will also update the group on developments at Bigton including the barley trial plots and their grazing management plans.
The Shetland 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 Saturday 8 June, which is free to attend, will begin at Ness Boating Club at 1:30pm. BBQ dinner will be provided, and the meeting will finish at approximately 6.00pm.
To book your attendance (and lunch) please contact Graham Fraser, SAC Consulting Lerwick on 01595 693520 or email frbslerwick@sac.co.uk
The meeting, held at Girtridge Farm, Dundonald, Poppy Frater from SAC Consulting will return to Girtridge to see how the grazing system there has progressed since the introduction of rotational grazing.
Ms Frater said that it is important to manage grass to maintain quality throughout the grazing seasons ensuring swards are kept at optimum height or cover.
“One of the changes the Howie family introduced was rotational grazing cattle and sheep. With this system, John has the chance to manage grass in an effective way that allows rest periods which are important in maintaining grass quality,” she said.
John Howie runs the 140-hectare Girtridge farm, the North Ayrshire Monitor farm, in partnership with his mother and sister. They currently finish around 230 cattle all year round, some housed and others from grass. The Howie family established eight, two hectare paddocks using electric fencing where they rotate a group of finishing cattle every few days, aiming for a target rotation of 21 days.
Ms Frater will also touch on the value of feed budgeting and forecasting growth to help meet cattle and sheep needs through the season.
At the meeting on Wednesday 5 June, Mr Howie will give a farm update with a review on finished cattle performance and on the grass mixture trial at Girtridge.
“Following the changes made to the housing, adjustment of rations and grass allocation, the performance of the finishing cattle is being monitored to quantify the improvements and make any further changes to rationing,” said Mr Howie.
Keen to determine which grass seed mixtures work well at Girtridge, Mr Howie sowed six different mixtures and the group will have the opportunity to see which mixtures have worked best. Richard Bray from Agrovista will also lend a hand to review the barley crops to help determine the pros and cons of growing winter or spring barley.
Through improved grazing and grassland management, Mr Howie hopes to finish his stock quicker and reduce feed costs.
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 meeting at Girtridge Farm on Wednesday 5 June will begin at 10.30am. The group will visit the grazing cattle and sheep followed by presentations with an 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 by Monday 3 June.
How livestock farmers can best profit from a pasture-based system and the benefits technology can bring to rural businesses will be examined at the next Sutherland monitor farm meeting on Tuesday 4 June.
At the meeting, which is being held at Clynelish Farm in Brora, Trevor Cook, a respected vet and sheep and beef production consultant from New Zealand, will share his knowledge on all aspects of livestock production from grass-based systems.
Vic and Jason Ballantyne have seen the benefits of improving their grassland management at Clynelish. The rotational grazing system they have established is working well, and they can now easily identify fields that can be taken out of the system for silage production. This has lowered their feed costs in winter. The grazing season at Clynelish has been extended too; this year they turned out their cattle on 8 April, two weeks earlier than they have been able to do before.
The Ballantynes are looking forward to welcoming Trevor back to Clynelish on 4 June.
“Trevor has provided valuable support and guidance to us over the last few years and is a huge source of information,” said Jason Ballantyne.
“We really like the way he challenges us to think outside the box and motivates us to keep making improvements to our grassland management.”
As well as discussing how farmers can make the most from their grass, Mr Cook will share suggestions for those interested in growing and feeding fodder beet. This crop is something that Vic and Jason Ballantyne are keen to establish at Clynelish to help feed their ewes over the winter months. Along with other farmers from the Monitor Farm Scotland network, they have sown a series of trial plots on their farm. This project started this year to investigate and test methods of collecting and sharing knowledge and experience of managing fodder beet in Scotland.
Trevor Cook will also lead a session on the practical control of parasitic gut worms in grazing livestock and will explain how farmers can manage their grazing land and stock to minimise the development of anthelmintic (wormer) resistance.
As well as a farm tour, the Ballantynes will demonstrate some of the technology they have invested in recently through Monitor Farm innovation funding to help them improve the performance of their livestock, as well as save them time and money.
The first of these is a newly installed sheep weighing and handling system, that used in conjunction with EID technology will allow the Ballantynes to manage the performance of both their sheep and growing lambs.
Victoria Ballantyne will also demonstrate the drone that she used to monitor stock remotely during lambing and calving this year. The Ballantynes have also purchased a ‘’Vetmarker’’ lamb docking chute. This piece of equipment can be used to make routine tasks like ear tagging, castrating, tail docking and treating lambs quicker and easier. The Ballantynes are keen to share the benefit of this kit and it will be available free of charge to other sheep farmers in the area to use on their own farms.
Clynelish Farm is one of nine monitor farms established in Scotland as part of a joint initiative 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.
The meeting at Clynelish farm on Tuesday 4 June is free to attend and open to all. It will begin at 11am, with coffee and registration from 10.30am. Lunch is included.
For catering purposes, anyone interested in attending the meeting should confirm their attendance with the facilitators Willie Budge or Cat MacGregor by phoning SAC Thurso on 01847 892602 or emailing fbsthurso@sac.co.uk.
For more information about the monitor farm programme visit www.monitorfarms.co.uk
The Marchant family, who run Clonhie Farm, the Nithsdale Monitor farm, near Thornhill, are looking forward to welcoming visitors to their farm for LEAF Open Farm Sunday on 9 June.
This will be the first time the family have taken part in LEAF Open Farm Sunday and they are excited about inspiring the next generation through their passion for their business and way of life.
Andrew, Aileen and their two young children, William (9) and Anna (6), have been farming in their own right since 2012 when they took on the tenancy of the 93 hectares at Clonhie from the Buccleuch Estate. Keen to expand their business, they took on a further 210 hectares in 2016.
The Marchants have built their business steadily by improving the upland grazing and increasing ewe numbers to 1,000. They have also established a small herd of 20 Luing suckler cows and, most recently, diversified into venison production with a herd of 150 red deer hinds in partnership with the Buccleuch Estate.
Passionate about the welfare and quality of livestock they produce, the family are keen to educate the general public about livestock farming and are looking forward to supporting farming’s annual open day by opening their farm gates on 9 June.
Aileen Marchant, who is a teacher at Wallace Hall Academy and leads the school’s successful Rural Skills programme, said: “I know through my work at school that visiting a farm is a totally different experience from classroom learning and we are keen to give as many people as possible the opportunity to come on farm and see for themselves what we are doing here.”
LEAF Open Farm Sunday continues to grow in Scotland, developing stronger links between farmers, smallholders and consumers. In the last five years, more than 80,800 people have visited events in Scotland, with between 15 and 30 farmers opening their gates each year.
Scottish LEAF Open Farm Sunday Co-ordinator Rebecca Dawes encouraged anyone interested in knowing more about farming to get involved. She said: “LEAF Open farm Sunday is a fantastic opportunity for everyone, young and old, to discover at first-hand what it means to be a farmer and the fabulous work they do producing our food, enhancing the countryside and all the goods and services farmers provide.”
The Marchant family have devised a packed programme of activities for the day, which runs at Clonhie from 11am to 2pm, and Aileen Marchant thinks that they can will be able to accommodate around 200 visitors during the day.
She said: “The main focus is education, but it will be a fun day as well. Farming is not always a career considered for children but days like this may light a spark of interest in the young people and also let the parents see that farming and the wider food and drink industry can be a good career choice offering an excellent variety of career opportunities.”
Those who visit Clonhie on 9 June will have the opportunity to visit the deer as part of a tractor and trailer ride, the chance to get up close with sheep and cattle in the sheds, see a clipping demonstration and have a lesson on handling wool and discovering its different uses.
Farmers are also passionate about the vital role they play in safeguarding the environment. Clonhie farm has a network of ponds and wildlife areas, so guided walks will be available with a science-based experiment half-way round looking into habitats and water quality. There will also be fun activities including face painting, wellie-flinging and a quiz.
Mrs Marchant commented: “I don’t have a farming background, so not only was I thinking what my young children would like to see and do on a visit, I was thinking about the sort of questions I would ask!
“As the Nithsdale Monitor Farm, we are used to hosting regular meetings at Clonhie, including an annual open meeting which attracts around 100 people. The monitor farm meetings are all farm focussed though, so this is very different; we hope to attract the wider non-farming community from Thornhill and Dumfries who may never have set foot on a farm before or given much thought as to where their food comes from.”
As new entrants to farming, Andrew and Aileen have had to work hard to build up their farming business. The couple are determined to succeed and drive their business forward and care passionately about the welfare of their animals and looking after the countryside. They appreciate the chance that the Buccleuch Estate have given them by awarding the tenancy in the first place, but also for the support they have had from organisations such as Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and local people.
Mrs Marchant said: “This is an amazing industry to be part of, everyone has been so helpful and supportive. We are exceptionally proud to be part of the farming community now and would love to encourage more people into farming through initiatives such as LEAF Open Farm Sunday.”
To find the details of the farms opening near you visit www.farmsunday.org or for more information on how to host an event for LEAF Open Farm Sunday this year or next, contact Rebecca Dawes 07792 467730 or ofsrc.scotland@gmail.com.
Two upcoming monitor farm meetings will dig deeper into soil health for the arable sector. The subject will be scrutinised at an arable-focused meeting at Lothians monitor farm on Thursday 23 May, as well as an Angus monitor farm meeting the following day.
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“But we’ll also be challenging the speakers. There are certain things that may be simpler to establish down south, in different rotations, climate and environment; that’s not to say they can’t work here, but we’ll be exploring how we can make a success of certain things – like zero till – in Scotland.”
Both meetings will host innovative farmer Clive Bailye from Staffordshire, who will discuss how he made zero till farming work for his system.
Clive, who also founded The Farming Forum and Direct Driller magazine, moved to a zero tillage system nearly a decade ago with the aim of reducing costs while improving yields. He focuses on increasing soil organic matter levels, water infiltration and capturing sunlight through cover cropping, rotational diversity and has recently reintroduced livestock onto the farm.
Also speaking at the meeting will be Christina Clarke from ADAS who will cover plant health and pathogens, wheat varieties and breeding while Andy Newbold from Farm Smart will discuss soil remediation, machinery settings, tine design and impact on soils.
AHDB’s Harry Henderson will share the results of the machinery review carried out across the monitor farm network and apprise the group on AHDB projects on straw and soils.
AHDB Knowledge Exchange Manager Chris Leslie explained: “We wanted to bring in some really exciting speakers on soil health and by getting them along to two of our monitor farms we are spreading that knowledge as wide as we can.
“This is the ideal time of year to be considering your soils, whether that is health, pathogens or the machinery you are using to work it, and this meeting will give us a chance to discuss all the tools we have to make the most of this vital resource.”
The Lothians and Angus Monitor farms were established in Scotland as part of a joint initiative 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.
The Lothians meeting will be held at Rosemains Farm on Thursday 23 May, tea and coffee will be available from 10am and the event will close at 3pm. The Angus meeting will be held at Mill of Inverarity Farm on Friday 24 May with tea and coffee available from 10.30am, again closing at 3pm.
More information on soils can be found online at https://ahdb.org.uk/greatsoils
Those interested in attending the Lothians event should contact Colin MacPhail on 07747 046461 or at colin@macphailconsulting.co.uk. Those interested in attending the Angus event should contact SAC Consulting’s Stonehaven office on 01569 762305 or email zach.reilly@sac.co.uk.
Technograzing will the focus of a livestock-centred meeting of the Lothians monitor farm on Tuesday 21 May.
The concept of technograzing was developed by farmer Harry Wier in New Zealand more than 35 years ago. Similar to paddock grazing the system allows large numbers of livestock to be moved regularly with minimal labour. Animals are moved two or three times a week, into ‘lanes’ which are divided using temporary electric fencing.
Cumbrian farmer Thomas Stobart will discuss how he and his brother introduced technograzing onto 12.5 hectares of their farm, where it is grazed by 100 Wagyu heifers and steers.
Lothians monitor farmer Peter Eccles explained: “We are really keen to utilise grass as effectively as possible so we want to find out more about the technograzing system to see if it can help us better manage our summer surplus, which will in turn will help ensure we have good forage stocks going into the winter. Our current system is working well but we know we can always improve.”
The meeting will also cover Smartgrass, the away wintering of cattle, Saughland’s lambing and calving performance, Agri-Environment Schemes and the farm’s fodder beet trial.
Inspired by former monitor farmer, John Scott, who had established a fodder beet crop on Fearn farm in Tain, Pete grew 6.5 ha of fodder beet at Saughland last year and has increased this to 10.5 ha this year.
At the meeting next week Pete will discuss the cost benefit of the crop, which despite being expensive to establish, is considerable.
If he had fed homegrown silage in place of fodder beet on the same area of land, Peter calculated that, on a dry mater basis, he would have to needed to produce approximately 71 bales per hectare of 35 per cent DM silage, something that would be challenging for any farm to produce.
This year has seen fantastic lambing performance at Saughland, with early grass growth contributing to good ewe condition and improved lamb survival rates. Calving has been disappointing when compared to an excellent year last year where 70 calves were reared from 68 cows, however Pete is comfortable with both the sheep and cattle results, which he will share at the event.
The group will also discuss Agri-Environment Schemes and the challenges and opportunities they pose. Peter has been offered funding to install new hedges and fencing on farm with the aim of improving wildlife habitats and increasing biodiversity. He also hopes improved shelter belts will enhance animal welfare at Saughland. However, setting aside land for this purpose will reduce output and Peter is keen to get the balance right.
“It’s all about doing the right thing for the environment,” he said, “which is something we really are focused but our primary objective is to produce food to the highest possible standards and make a profit, so I want to discuss how we can use this scheme to achieve this.”
The Lothians Monitor farm – a partnership between neighbouring farms Saughland and Prestonhall – is one of nine new monitor farms established in Scotland as part of a joint initiative 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.
The meeting on 21 May will begin at Saughland Farm, Pathhead, Midlothian, EH37 5XP, all are welcome, and the event is free. Tea and coffee will be available from 10am and lunch will be provided, however for catering purposes those interested in coming along on 21 May should confirm attendance with Colin MacPhail on 07747 046461 or at colin@macphailconsulting.co.uk. The meeting is expected to finish by 3pm.
Lothians monitor farm is also holding an arable-focused meeting on 23 May which will focus on soils, for more details please contact Colin, or click here
The opportunities of using technology and data to support farming businesses, as well as career opportunities for the next generation of farmers, will be discussed at the next Borders Monitor farm meeting on Wednesday 22 May.
Starting with tea and coffee at 10am, the meeting at Whitriggs Farm near Denholm, will offer a strong line up of speakers including David Owen from Owen Farm Services, who will highlight the potential uses of data and technology in agriculture. If weather permits he will also demonstrate the practical uses for drones in farming.
He said: “The use of drones has increased in popularity in agriculture in recent years. The devices can be fitted with cameras and sensors to help farmers assess their fields from above for poor yielding areas or to spot problems such as soil compaction. They can also be used to monitor livestock and survey farmland.”
Robert and Lesley Mitchell farm in partnership with their son Stuart. The run a herd of 170 suckler cows at their 442 hectare farm as well as a breeding herd of 125 red deer. Stuart took on the responsibility of the day to day decision making at Whitriggs last year and is keen to ensure that Whitriggs continues to develop.
He said: “I am very keen to future proof the business here at Whitriggs. The use of more advanced technology in today’s agriculture is becoming more easily accessible and I feel we must use this to our benefit to make our farm more efficient and productive.”
Following the previous Borders Monitor meeting in March, Sion Williams from Buccleuch Estates will share his experiences of employing young people, highlighting the benefits and a checklist of what needs to be considered. He will be joined by one of the apprentices from Buccleuch who will talk about how they have benefited from the opportunity to work as an apprentice.
This session will be run jointly with the Borders Machinery Ring, who will highlight the opportunities for farmers in the area to get involved in a new pre-apprenticeship programme. This supports both young people and mentors farmers to encourage more young people to join the industry and develop the skills needed.
Finally, cumbrian Farmer Thomas Stobart will discuss his farming methods, in particular how he farms for the benefit of the environment, including grazing management. Mr Stobart runs 800 breeding ewes and 280 cattle on 780- hectare Croglin High Hall Farm in Armathwaite. At the meeting on 22 May Mr Stobart will explain how he has made substantial changes to his farm over the last five years in order to reduce input costs. He has established a successful rotational grazing system which has significantly increased livestock growth rates and decreased feed and fertiliser costs.
He said: “We realised that if we focused on soil health and improving our grazing management, would not only increase out profitability but would have a positive effect on the environment.”
After a BBQ lunch there will be a farm tour and the Mitchells will report on their calving at Whitriggs this year and their plans for the third year of the monitor farm programme.
Whitriggs is one of nine monitor farms established in Scotland as part of a joint initiative 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.
The meeting on Wednesday 22 May will be held at Whitriggs farm, near Denholm, TD9 8QR and will begin at 10am. The meeting is expected to finish by 3pm. All are welcome and the event is free.
To reserve your place (and lunch!) please contact Stephen Young, one of the project facilitators, on 07502 339613 or email stephen.young@saos.coop.
The next Nithsdale Monitor farm meeting will look at options for grassland and forage to help feed grazing livestock throughout the year.
At the meeting, which will be held at Clonhie farm, the Nithsdale Monitor Farm, near Penpont on Thursday 16 May, Michael Shannon, a livestock farmer from Lanarkshire, will share his knowledge and experience of all thing’s grassland and forage.
Michael Shannon farms 100 hectares at Thankerton Camp Farm near Biggar, where he runs a sheep and finishing cattle system with no housing, making use of high-quality grass and winter forage crops. He currently finishes approximately 150 Aberdeen cross cattle a year, two thirds of which he sells through “Damn Delicious”, his successful farm butchery and farm shop business.
Mr Shannon believes that ‘’Grass is King’’ and encourages other farmers not to over complicate their grazing systems, but to keep things simple and relevant to their own farms in order to increase production and save costs.
He said: “The key is to follow the grass growth curve: graze it hard in the spring, which will improve the quality in the autumn, but you have to be careful not to overgraze it late in the year as it will not recover.”
Over the winter the cattle at Thankerton Camp are strip grazed on a kale rape hybrid called Swift, with access to silage. He also uses fodder beet and is impressed with the positive results he has seen with it.
Andrew Marchant, who farms with his wife Aileen at Clonhie, Nithsdale’s Monitor farm, has already taken big strides in his grazing management in the first three years of the Monitor farm programme, but is keen to continue improving the utilisation of their grass.
The couple run 900 breeding ewes and a small herd of 20 Luing cattle all of which are outwintered, as well as 100 deer hinds on their 300-hectare upland farm.
He said: “We started to monitor and measure grass growth which has helped us really understand its value and we now use rotational and paddock grazing. Deferred grazing has also made a big difference; we shut off an area in early September which we can then graze in January and February, a time when we would previously have had little grass left.”
“We really need to make some decisions now to set us up for the next twelve months. At the meeting later this week, we will look at last year’s grass to grass reseed and discuss whether to spray the weeds, at the expense of the clover and then overseed, or to just spray the whole sward off and start again.”
The Marchants are also very keen to grow another forage crop at Clonhie this year. They grew kale and swedes in their first year as a monitor farm to feed their flock over the winter and to set up the field for a new reseed and are looking at doing this again this year.
The farm has decided to refine their grass and feed budgeting by using “FARMAX” – a farm planning software system – to manage the supply of grass and demand from the livestock based on their own grass curve data. At the meeting on 16 May, Emily Grant from Forrit consultancy will highlight the benefits of the programme and how it can be used to improve performance and profitability of grass-based systems.
Mr Marchant said: “We have already started to input Clonhie data into FARMAX and plan to monitor grass growth and livestock performance through the season. I am really looking forward to seeing how the system can be used as a tool to investigate different scenarios and aid decision making in the future.”
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.
The meeting on Thursday 16 May will begin at Clonhie farm at 11am, end at 3.30pm and will include lunch.
To book your place please contact facilitator Judith Hutchison on 07718 919055 or email judith.agridigm@icloud.com.
The upcoming meeting at Morayshire Monitor Farm will focus on how best to manage your grass in dry conditions.
Paddy Jack from DLF Seeds will be the main speaker at the event, which will be held at Corskie Farm near Garmouth on Tuesday 7 May. He will highlight grass varieties which cope best with low rainfall, and the group will tour fields which host farmer Iain Green reseeded last year with this aim in mind.
Project facilitator, Sam Stewart from SAC Consulting, explained: “A field was reseeded using three different grass mixtures, contained cocksfoot so we will be taking a look to see how that is doing. We haven’t had much rain here over winter or spring, and after last year’s drought we are keen to make sure we do what we can to cope in dry conditions.”
As well as covering how best to manage grass and grass varieties, Paddy will also discuss weed control on silage and grazing pastures and over seeding.
Monitor farmer Iain Green will give his usual farm update, and he will have a lot to cover after a very busy period.
Mr Green said: “I’ll be talking about how we coped over winter which lower silage stocks than usual. We’ve been fortunate the grass came in early this year, but we also worked hard to ration the silage over the winter months. I’ll also cover how lambing and calving has been going, as well as how things are looking on the cereals side, which is pretty good at the moment.”
The final part of the meeting will focus on the best methods for recycling plastic after the recent burning ban came into force. Mrs Stewart will discuss how farmers can organise for this waste to be either picked up on farm, or dropped off, as well as highlighting the costs involved.
“I think there are some farmers who are simply storing a lot of the waste on farm at the moment,” said Mrs Stewart, “but that just isn’t sustainable. You are not allowed to store it for more than two years and waiting too long will just make it harder to dispose of, it’s best that farmers start doing it sooner rather than later.”
Corskie 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 Monitor Farm meeting will take place on Corskie Farm, Garmouth, IV32 7NN, on Tuesday 7 May from 1.30pm – 4.30pm. The event is free of charge but to assist with catering it would be appreciated if you can book a place by contacting Samantha Stewart by phone (01343 548787) or email (samantha.stewart@sac.co.uk).