The next Shetland monitor farm meeting on Saturday 2^nd March will focus on business management accounting, improving farm efficiency and preparation for calving and lambing.

At the meeting Karen Scholes from Scholes Chartered Accountants in Kirkwall will outline the tax aspects associated with running a farming business. She said: “Hopefully my presentation will help any farmer or crofter grow their existing business in a tax efficient manner.”

Mrs Scholes will also talk about the implications of the new “Making Tax Digital” (MTD) initiative from the HRMC.

“The MTD initiative is the government’s plan to digitise the tax system and will see one of the biggest changes to VAT in decades,” said Mrs Scholes.

She added: “From 1 April 2019, VAT-registered businesses with a taxable turnover above the VAT threshold will be required to keep digital records and submit VAT returns using compatible software.”

At the meeting, Mrs Scholes will highlight some of the software options for farmers to comply with this initiative and the possible impact on their business, as well as where to look for help as they make this transition.

Monitor farm facilitator Derek Hanton has conducted a comprehensive farm audit and looked at the last three years of production and financial data from Bigton, Shetland’s monitor farm. This included examining the different businesses enterprises to highlight potential areas for improvement.

At the meeting on 2^nd March Mr Hanton will present some of the findings from the audit, including the performance of the suckler herd over the last three years and the results and costings of the lambs Bigton bought in to finish on forage over the winter. He will also share the performance figures of the breeding flock over the last three years and lead a group discussion on how the Budges, and other farmers and crofters on Shetland, can increase their scanning, lambing, weaning and finishing percentages.

After lunch, Kirsty and Aimee Budge will update the group on developments at Bigton since the last meeting.

Finally, a vet from Shetland Vets will give some top tips for farmers and crofters preparing for the forthcoming calving and lambing period.

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 2^nd March, which is free to attend, will begin at Bigton Hall at 11.00. Lunch will be provided, and the meeting will finish at approximately 3.00pm.

To book your attendance (and lunch) please contact Graham Fraser, SAC Consulting Lerwick on 01595 693520 or email frbslerwick@sac.co.uk

Strategies to boost silage quality and optimise herd and calf health will be the focus of the next Borders Monitor farm meeting on Wednesday 6^th March at Whitriggs Farm, near Denholm.

Robert and Lesley Mitchell farm in partnership with their son Stuart. The family have always been passionate about producing the very best silage that they can and currently take 2-3 cuts each year using their own forage wagon, producing an average of 1,500 tonnes of silage annually from roughly 100 hectares.

“We are generally very happy with the silage we produce at Whitriggs, but our focus has always been quality over quantity,” said Robert Mitchell. The family introduced short term leys of red clover and Italian ryegrass into the crop rotation around six years ago, which they say has helped improve the quality of the silage they produce.

At the meeting, ruminant nutritionist Robert Gilchrist from the ANM Farm Profit Progamme will run an interactive session to make farmers think about their own silage production and how they can improve it in advance of silage making this spring/summer.

“Most livestock farmers produce silage, and I’m keen to encourage them to think about how much it actually costs to produce the silage they make. Only then can they start to make accurate cost comparisons between making and feeding their own silage against feeding other crops or purchased feed.”

Also at the meeting, the group will discuss the key benefits of feeding good quality silage, and attendees will be asked to try and identify what they think is the ‘’best’’ silage from a range of samples provided by management team members.

Mr Gilchrist will also highlight the potential cost savings that can be made by targeting good quality silage to livestock with the highest needs. As the feed requirements of dry suckler cows are lower than growing or finishing cattle, managing suckler cow condition when feeding high quality silage can be a problem. Mr Gilchrist will therefore suggest some strategies to help keep cows in the optimum condition when feeding good silage.

The Mitchells have a herd of 170 suckler cows which includes Beef Shorthorn crosses and Aberdeen Angus crosses. They recently joined the Premium Cattle Health Scheme to help manage their testing and livestock health status. One of the key issues identified by farmers in the Borders has been Johne’s Disease and George Caldow, Head of SAC Veterinary Services, will discuss the issues around Johne’s, the effect it can have on the performance and profitability of suckler herds and the options available for its control.

The group will then move to the nearby Auld Cross Keys Hotel in Denholm for lunch, followed by a session on colostrum management, led by Bridget Girvan from MSD Animal Health.

“Colostrum management is the single most important management factor in determining calf and lamb health and survival,”  said Mrs Girvan.

Colostrum is the milk produced by cows and ewes in the first 24 hours after birth and  contains antibodies (either naturally generated or via vaccination) that, when absorbed from the calf or lamb’s gut, help protect them from common disease challenges on farm. 

Mrs Girvan added: “With the calving and lambing period fast approaching, managing the nutrition of pregnant sheep and cattle is key to ensuring good colostrum production.  Once born, the young calf or lamb will also need to receive a sufficient volume of clean, high-quality colostrum within the first few hours of life to maximise their survival rate.”

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 6^th March will begin at Whitriggs farm, near Denholm, TD9 8QR at 10am before moving to the Auld Cross Keys Hotel for lunch and the afternoon session. 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 Angus Monitor Farm meeting on Thursday 28 February will focus on what the domestic and international markets hold for both grain and livestock.

Stuart Ashworth from Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) will cover the red meat market, looking at where Scottish produce is exported around the globe and discuss the main market drivers for price and demand. He will also share his thoughts on how Brexit will affect Scottish red meat production and the business challenges facing the Scottish beef and sheep sector.

The UK and world grain markets will be covered by Julian Bell from SAC Consulting. His focus will be on the supply and demand of cereals and oilseeds domestically as well as outlining the UK’s place in the world market. Growers can expect to hear about grain harvests across the world, current stock levels and the potential for greater spring barley demand in Scotland thanks to new distilleries opening.

Project facilitator Zach Reilly explains: “The community group made it clear that they wanted to better understand the market drivers for both red meat and cereals so it’s great to have two experts on hand to take them through all the ins and outs.

“We will also be sharing some of the farm’s business figures which have been analysed as part of the Monitor Farm programme, using AHDB’s Farmbench programme. We have used the figures as a baseline to target changes at the Mill of Inverarity, looking at areas which are working well, and those which could be improved, as well as discussing how the farm performed financially given the dry weather and reduced yields.”

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.

The meeting will be held at Forfar Auction Mart, starting at 10.30am and closing at 2pm. The event is free to attend and lunch will be provided so to assist with catering attendees should book a place by phoning SAC Consulting’s Stonehaven office (01569 762305) or emailing zach.reilly@sac.co.uk.

Farmers at the next Lothians Monitor Farm meeting on Wednesday 27 February will be asked what plans they have to future proof their businesses.

Oliver McEntyre from Barclays will lead a session titled ‘Is your business fit to survive?’ Drawing on his experience as National Agriculture Strategy Director, he will outline how different management styles not only affect businesses ability to borrow, but also their bottom-line.

Project facilitator Colin MacPhail, explained: “The aim is to challenge our thinking, to get the group discussing what might be ahead, so they can start to put plans in place to ensure their businesses thrive in the short to medium term.”

“Oliver will focus on the primary drivers of agriculture in the future and the impact different mind-sets and management styles have on businesses.  While we all have issues that concern us, the key is to focus on those areas where we have real influence and not those where we have limited control.”

In the afternoon there will be a session on drones, focusing on the cost benefit and particularly on how the data they gather can add value to the bottom-line while the final two sessions of the day will see the group split in two.

Those focused on arable will hear from AgriScot Arable Farmer of the Year Donald Ross, who has had success in the Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) Awards which are run by ADAS in partnership with AHDB. Donald will tell the group more about the YEN programme, which aims to help farmers increase their yields, and discuss how Prestonhall Farm can get involved.

Monitor farmer Bill Gray explained: “I’m also keen to learn a bit more about the YEN programme as we are intending to put in an entry this year. As we enter the last year of our project, the focus is very much on the messages we can share and the legacy we can develop from it.”

The livestock farmers will head to Saughland to find out more about how the sheep have performed on the fodder beet over the winter, as well as discussing scanning results and how the away wintered store cattle performed.

“Thus far our experience of growing fodder beet has been very positive,” monitor farmer Peter Eccles says, “providing huge amounts of valuable dry matter and energy at significantly less cost than silage or other bought-in feeds. This enables us to rest grazing fields while ensuring ewe body condition is right going into lambing. I look forward to discussing with the group our ewe scanning results and ensuring nutritional demands are met effectively in the final stages of pregnancy.”

Sharon Flanigan from the James Hutton Institute will also present at the meeting. Sharon has been working with monitor farms across Scotland and elsewhere to explore the impact of such on-farm demonstration activities at both individual and community levels. On the day she will reveal her findings so far.

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 27 February will begin with tea and coffee at 10.30am at the Stairs Arms Hotel, Pathhead, Midlothian, EH37 before moving to Rosemains farm and Saughland Farm after lunch.  EH37 5TX, All are welcome and the event is free. For catering purposes those interested in coming along on 27 February should confirm attendance with Colin MacPhail on 07747 046461 or at colin@macphailconsulting.co.uk. The meeting is expected to finish by 3pm.

Safe cattle handling will be discussed by animal behaviour expert Dr Simon Turner at the next Morayshire Monitor Farm meeting on Tuesday 12 February.

Also on the cattle side, the meeting will focus on estimated breeding values (EBVs) as well as hearing how Monitor Farmer Iain Green’s first batch of cattle performed when weaned using his new Beef Monitor system – which weighs the livestock every time they take a drink.

Iain says: “We’ve had eighty bulls go through the system now, and because of all the data it gathers, we can share weaning weights, slaughter weights and the daily live weight gain. It’s been of huge benefit, not just financially, but also in terms of reducing cattle stress through reduced handling.

“On the handling side we are interested to see if we can do more there. Our system seems to work well but I’m really interested to see if we can improve our facilities to make things as safe and simple as possible for the cattle and stock people.”

As well as assessing Iain’s current handling system, Simon will also discuss simple changes farmers could make to reduce stress during handling, as well as highlighting some of the negative effect that poor handling can have on animal health and welfare, and productivity. 

Sharon Flanigan from the James Hutton Institute will also present at the meeting. Sharon has been working with monitor farms across Scotland and elsewhere to explore the impact of such on-farm demonstration activities at both individual and community levels. On the day she will reveal her findings so far.

The final topic up for discussion will be the introduction of EID for Scottish cattle. The new rules means that all new born calves will require EID tagging by the 1st of January 2020 and there will be a representative from ScotEID at the meeting to highlight how complying with  the new regulations, can also benefit the farm business by allowing closer monitoring of livestock performance.

The Morayshire Monitor 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 Monitor Farm meeting will take place on Corskie Farm, Garmouth, IV32 7NN, on Tuesday 12 February from 1.30pm – 5pm.  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).

Improving pasture productivity through soil management will be the subject of the next Sutherland Monitor Farm meeting on Wednesday 13^th February.

At the meeting, which is being held at Brora Golf Club, cattle nutritionist and soil specialist James Bretherton from Agscope Ltd will outline some of the ways to assess soil structure and health to help enhance its productivity.

“It’s important to appreciate that your farm’s soil is a living environment,” said Mr Bretherton.

“Livestock farmers know that to maximise production and efficiency from their livestock, the stock needs to be healthy. It’s the same with soil; for good grass and crops, the soil must be healthy and well structured.” 

The physical structure of a ‘’good’’ soil, he explained, is typically 45% mineral, 25% water, 25% air and 5% organic matter and should have a target pH value of between 5.9 and 6.5. 

As well as sharing tips to help farmers manage the pH, structure and health of their soils to boost pasture production, Mr Bretherton will explain how to interpret results of both laboratory and physical assessments so producers can develop an action plan to improve their own soil productivity. 

Mr Bretherton will also run a ‘’Soil Clinic’’ as part of the meeting on 13^th February, where he will give a free physical assessment of soil samples brought by attendees who are keen to learn more about the soil health on their own farm.

Sutherland monitor farmers Jason and Vic Ballantyne from Clynelish farm run 900 breeding ewes and 80 suckler cows over 125 hectares. They are looking forward to hearing how they, and other farmers and crofters in the area, can interpret the results of soil tests and make some positive changes to soil management on their own farms to improve soil health and productivity and support pasture growth.

“We regularly soil test and are always amazed at the variation across the farm,” said Jason Ballantyne.

He added: “We are also astonished at how quickly lime and pH depletes at Clynelish. We spread a huge amount of lime across the farm about five years ago to raise soil pH and saw an immediate increase in grass growth.

“We’ve continued to top up lime applications since but following the soil samples taken last month we have just ordered 160 tonnes of lime to try and raise soil pH to 6.2 with the aim of supporting the optimum growth or grass, as well as the swedes and fodder beet crops that will be going in later in the year,” said Mr Ballantyne

“Another issue we have in some of the fields at Clynelish is soil compaction and we look forward to James’ analysis and advice on the best way to remedy this,” said Vic Ballantyne.

“We are also really interested in the mineral analysis and what options we have for addressing deficiencies,” she added. 

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 the Brora Golf Club on Wednesday 13^th February is free to attend and open to all. It will begin at 11am, with coffee and registration from 10.30am. Lunch is included.

Farmers interested in attending the next Sutherland Monitor farm meeting should confirm attendance with the facilitators Willie Budge or Cat MacGregor by phoning SAC Thurso on 01847 892602 or emailing fbsthurso@sac.co.uk.

Identifying opportunities to safeguard farm businesses for the future will be the subject of the next Nithsdale Monitor Farm meeting on Thursday 7^th February.

At the meeting, which will begin at Clonhie farm, the Nithsdale Monitor Farm, near Penpont, farmers will be asked to give their thoughts on the performance of the monitor farm and suggest ideas to improve and develop the business over the next one or two years. They will be joined by Sion Williams, farm manager at Bowhill Farming Ltd in Selkirk (part of the Buccleuch Estate), who will describe how the various enterprises that make up the business have evolved over the years.

Andrew and Aileen Marchant, who farm at Clonhie, run 900 breeding ewes, a small herd of 20 Luing cattle and have recently invested in 100 deer hinds on their 300-hectare upland farm.

Relatively new entrants to farming, the Marchants took over the tenancy of Clonhie (part of the Buccleuch estate) in 2012 and have built up their business steadily, increasing the number of ewes and most recently diversifying into venison production in a joint venture with Buccleuch estates.

The day will begin at Clonhie with the group visiting some the ewe flock on their winter grazing, the red deer hinds that joined the farm last summer, and the young deer in the recently modified shed before moving to Tynron Village Hall.

Following lunch Andrew Marchant will share with the group the financial and technical performance of Clonhie over the last 12 months and highlight the importance he places on benchmarking the performance of his business against others.

As new entrants, the Marchants weren’t eligible to receive single farm payments for their first five years at Clonhie so admit that they have had to build their business in a different way to most farmers.

“With very little access to finance, we had had to ensure that every business decision we made was backed up by sound financial projections. We didn’t have a safety net: we had to make money or we were gone,” said Mr Marchant.

That discipline has stayed with the couple, who keep a close eye on their business costs and performance data to make sure the farm doesn’t slip backwards.

“There is lots of talk about there being challenging times ahead for farmers in Scotland,” said Mr Marchant. “That’s true, and there are lots of decisions that are out of our hands, like Brexit, the weather and the future of subsidy, but I strongly believe that every farmer has the power to work towards making their own farm as resilient to these external challenges as possible.

“Benchmarking the performance of Clonhie against other farms has really helped Aileen and I identify the strengths and weaknesses of our business and helped identify new opportunities.”

He added: “I think regular reviews of your farm’s performance and the enterprise balance is important too – what might have worked for your farm five years ago, might not work as well now.

“Most livestock farms in Scotland are, like Clonhie, run by a single person and don’t employ extra labour except maybe at lambing or calving. I think technology, joint ventures and collaboration with other businesses can really help farmers improve their farm businesses and help them to work smarter in the future.

 “I’m really keen to hear from other farmers how they think we can do things better at Clonhie. Hopefully, all the farmers who come along will benefit from the discussions and take one or two ideas back to their own farms to help their own businesses prosper too,” he concluded.

Also at the meeting on 7^th February, Sion Williams will give an overview of the Bowhill Farming operation, which currently runs 6,800 breeding ewes, 500 suckler cows as well as other enterprises including deer, free range hens and an anaerobic digester. He will alsodescribe how and why they have made the choices they have made in growing their enterprises and farm business.

Buccleuch has established several successful joint ventures with some of its tenant farms, which the estate views as a ‘’win win’’ situation, providing a business benefit for both landlord and tenant.

“We see that establishing joint ventures with some of our tenant farms makes good business sense and has benefits to both parties. We are always happy to work with tenants, like the Marchants, who are looking for ways to drive their own businesses forward,” said Mr Williams.

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 7^th February will begin at Clonhie farm at 10.30am, 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.

Suggestions to refine and improve efficiencies in cattle finishing systems will be under discussion at the next North Ayrshire Monitor farm meeting on Wednesday 30^th January.

At the meeting, which will begin at Girtridge Farm, Dundonald before moving to nearby Auchans restaurant, Gavin Hill, senior beef specialist at SAC and SAC nutritionist Karen Stewart will share some suggestions to help those finishing store cattle to improve their bottom line.

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.

Mr Howie currently sources store cattle between 15-24 months old from Ayr market and also privately and uses an excel spreadsheet to record as much information on the cattle he finishes as possible. Combining this information with stockmanship skills, Mr Howie was able to identify clear differences in cattle performance at Girtridge and is keen to address the issue.

At the meeting on 30^th January, Gavin Hill will give an update on the current beef market. He will also provide some guidance about what to look for when sourcing store cattle either from a market or privately, to ensure that farmers select stock that will perform well on their own farms. Housing and nutrition for optimum growth rates will also be discussed.

With straw supplies tight this year, Mr Howie decided to utilise a suspended cubicle shed at Girtridge to house some of his cattle. He noticed that the performance of the cattle in this shed varied considerably, as cattle were sorting the ration, with some only eating silage.

With advice from Gavin Hill and Karen Stewart, Mr Howie has made some simple changes to how he managed the cattle in this shed. Molasses has been added to the TMR mix to bind the ration and stop self-selection and Mr Howie also reduced the number of cattle in the shed by 10% to reduce competition for food. He has also made improvements to some of the waterbowls to ensure that they delivered sufficient water for the stocking density.

“The changes we have made appear to be working. There is less competition for feed and water along and more concentrates in the latter rations,” said Mr Howie.

He added: “We are due to weigh all the stock this month, so will see if we are hitting our growth targets.”

The benefits of performance recording was highlighted at a recent visit by John Howie and members of the business group to Thornhill based Tibbers farm, run by Alistair Kingan, in December.

The Kingan family finish around 1,400 cattle a year and use EID technology extensively both to monitor performance of their stock and as an aid to help select stock to purchase. With proposals to bring in compulsory cattle EID from January, there are huge benefits available to farmers looking to performance-manage their herd more effectively.

“The visit to Tibbers Farm was a real eye opener to me and the last piece of the jigsaw after our meeting with ScotEid and recent cattle EID tag trial,” said Mr Howie.

“The EID equipment that Alistair has installed linked to a weigh-head along with the software programme allows him to analyse the performance data of his stock simply and make more informed management decisions.

“I am really keen to start using EID technology along with an integrated farm management software programme at Girtridge so it was great to see how another finisher has benefited from using it.”  

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 30^th January will begin at 10.30am. The group will move to nearby Auchans Restaurant for lunch followed by some further presentations and should finish at 3pm. All are welcome and the event is free.

For catering purposes, those interested in coming along on 30th January should confirm attendance by calling 01292 525252 or emailing FBSAyr@sac.co.uk

The benefits of investing in genetics and EID technology will be showcased at the next Lochaber Monitor Farm meeting on Thursday 31st January.

The free meeting, which will be held at the Nevis centre in Fort William, will focus on some of the key areas for developing the suckler industry; selecting the correct genetics in your stock, bull management and how EID technology can help to monitor stock performance and aid management decisions.

Getting your genetics right is essential for establishing a sustainable suckler herd. At the meeting on 31^st January, Alison Glasgow, technical manager and geneticist from the British Limousin Cattle Society will help the group to explore the genetics best suited to for west coast store cattle producers. She will outline new developments on the genetic horizon and how best to manage breeding bulls after purchase.

Strone farm, Lochaber’s monitor farm, near Fort William is run by father and son team Malcolm and Chris Cameron. They are passionate about their herd of 50 pure Limousin cows and have carefully selected bulls on their maternal traits such as ease of calving and milk.

“We find the pure Limousin cow is very adaptable, she calves easily and even if not grazed on the best of grass will maintain her condition and get back in calf,” commented Malcolm Cameron.

Also at the meeting, Jane Thomson from Shearwell Data Ltd will provide an update on proposals to bring in compulsory cattle EID from January 2020 and show how EID technology can improve the management of suckler herds in the west.

“Performance recording is a really effective way for cattle farmers to identify the best, and the worse, performing animals and make informed choices about which animals to retain in the herd,” said Jane Thomson.

She added: “The technology behind EID tags, data collectors and the associated software programmes ensures that production data can be stored quickly and accurately and is a huge benefit to farmers looking to performance-manage their herd more effectively.”

In 2018, the Camerons took on a tenancy of an extra 42 hectares of grazing land and some sheds just 11 miles from the home farm at Strone. After discussion with the management group they decided to trial finishing all their own male lambs indoors on ad-lib creep feeding. The weights of the lambs were also monitored regularly. The final costs and income from these lambs have been collected and the final results and conclusions from this trial will be presented at this meeting. 

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 31^st January will be held at the Nevis centre, in Fort William and will begin at noon and finish at around 4pm. Lunch will be provided. To book your attendance (and lunch!) please contact facilitators Niall Campbell or George Gauley on 01631 563093 or email fbsoban@sac.co.uk.

The next meeting of the Borders Monitor farm on Wednesday 23^rd January will focus on developing a strategy for restocking Whitriggs with sheep.

At the meeting, which will be held at the Auld Cross Keys Hotel at Denholm and begin at 10.30am, local farmers will be asked to discuss the options and the practicalities of restocking Whitriggs Farm, the Borders Monitor Farm, with sheep.

Robert and Lesley Mitchell and their son Stuart manage the 442 hectare Whitriggs farm near Denholm. In 2017, they were concerned that their sheep were not performing as well as they should. Blood tests revealed that Maedi Visna (MV) was present in the flock. Working closely with their vet and their management and community group, the family looked at  different ways to try and manage the effects of the disease in their flock,  but took the difficult decision in Autumn last year to dispose of the flock.

The family have managed 1,000 Easy Care and Blackface lambs on a B&B basis over the winter but are keen to start again and establish a new sheep flock at Whitriggs this year. However, the Mitchells are aware that there are lots of things to consider when thinking about restocking.

“We appreciate that we are in a unique position at the moment. Although we are disappointed to have lost our previous Lleyn flock, we realise that we have a great opportunity here to start again when we restock,” said Robert Mitchell.

He added: “We are really keen to take advice from local farmers and as many industry experts as possible to make sure that we approach the  restock correctly. We need to think about the best breed for our business, how many sheep to restock with and whether to restock with ewe lambs, gimmers or older sheep. We also need to decide the best time of year to restock.

“We know from bitter experience the effect that infectious diseases can have on a flock so we also need to ensure that we don’t buy in any health issues with the sheep we bring to Whitriggs. We will therefore be looking to invest in sheep from trusted sources and will be working with our vet to develop a robust quarantine procedure for when the sheep arrive.”

The breed of sheep to restock with is a big consideration for the family. Mr Mitchell commented: “We have always had Lleyns at Whitriggs, but are aware that there are other breeds that may also work on our land, so are looking forward to hear what other farmers in the area think we should do.”

At the meeting on 23^rd January, three local sheep farmers will discuss reasons they chose the breeds they run and what they like about them. Kevin Stewart from Sharpitlaw near Kelso will discuss the merits of the Aberfields he manages, whilst Pete Scott from Dolphinston farm near Jedburgh will discuss why Lleyns suit his system best. They will be joined by Graham Lofthouse from Bankhouse farm near Stow who will highlight why Texel/Easy Care ewes work for his business.

Also at the meeting on the 23rd January, Haig Murray, Livestock Procurement Manager for Dunbia, will give a report on the latest market situation and advise farmers how to get their prime lambs to hit market spec, irrespective of breed.

As well as tackling practical problems at the meeting, Gavin Dick, Farms & Commercial Manager at the Agricultural Engineering Precision Innovation (Agri-EPI) Centre will give a presentation on their work and how farmers make better use of available technologies to improve production.

The Agri-EPI Centre has been established to drive growth and support innovative ideas to help farmers and business owners become more profitable and sustainable. The Mitchells are keen to hear how the iniative can help them, and other farms in the Borders, improve their efficiency by embracing new technology.

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 23^rd January will be held at the Auld Cross Keys Hotel at Denholm, TD9 8NU and will begin at 10.30am. Lunch will be provided and the meeting is expected to finish by 2.30pm. 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.