As well as a series of farm management improvements, some of the biggest changes made by a Borders family in their role as monitor farmers, have emerged from a personality profiling exercise.

This, coupled with some very honest and open future planning discussions, has, according to the Mitchell family, made them a stronger and more focused team, working together to drive the business forward.

Stuart Mitchell and his parents Robert and Lesley run Whitriggs Farm near Denholm, which is entering its third year as the Borders Monitor Farm.

It 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.

One of the most significant drivers for positive change is that Robert, Lesley and their two sons, Stuart (26) and Alistair (24), have openly discussed how they plan to hand over the running of the farm business.

Both Stuart and Alistair got married last year which has changed the family dynamics and made succession planning even more vital. One outcome of the family discussions on succession is that Stuart is now leading on the day-to-day decision making.

That is not to say that Robert or Lesley have retired and Alistair, who works in a local veterinary laboratory, will continue to help out at busy times. Robert Mitchell believes the clarity on the future has made their already strong team even stronger.

He said: “It is good that Stuart is now in charge of running the business. Lesley and I are of an age where we possibly do not have the same urge to move forward so fast, but we are right behind him in all that he does and help him every way we can.”

One of the most interesting parts of the monitor farm programme for the Mitchells has been analysing their individual personalities. This showed Stuart and Robert Mitchell have very similar attitudes to decision making, investment, risk and several key aspects affecting the business.

Lesley Mitchell said: “I am the one who steadies the ship. I am less of a risk taker but together we make a strong team. We discuss everything openly and come to joint decisions for the benefit of the business.”

Arguably, it is personal development which has been the biggest gain from being part of the monitor farm programme for the Mitchell family. The input from specialists, support of the management group and the benchmarking undertaken by the Mitchells has also been vital to some of the decisions the family has made.

Whitriggs covers 442 hectares and although the farm is all LFA and runs from 500 feet to 1,400 feet, it is nearly all ploughable. At the start of the monitor farm process the family ran 140 suckler cows and 1,000 Lleyn ewes on the unit. They also grew around 40 hectares of winter wheat and oats.

The family had to make the difficult decision to sell their sheep last year due to Maedi Visna (MV) so from the start of 2019 the farm enterprises consist of 170 cows, 200 red deer and just over 60 hectares of cereals.

The plan now is to increase cow numbers to 200 by retaining the best of their own heifers for breeding.

Stuart Mitchell believes that one of the biggest business achievements as a result of the monitor farm programme has been through the changes to the management of the cattle enterprise. The spring-calving herd is Beef Shorthorn cross and Aberdeen-Angus cross and both breeds of bull are used, along with a Simmental.

In spring 2018 the family achieved their first six-week calving which Mr Mitchell said made the management of the cattle, both at calving and throughout the year, so much easier. They did this by synchronising all the cows which calved out-with the six-week period and inseminating them with ‘’native plus’’ semen. They were synchronised and AI’d to calve in the first week of the six-week period so that if they did not get in-calf, then they could still run with the bull and calve in the fifth week.

The family also now use AI on the heifers and calve them at two years old instead of three, and the other significant change is that they have sold calves store instead of finishing them.

Stuart Mitchell said: “It is good to be flexible. We have the option now to sell calves store in February and March but, depending on the price and how much grass we have, we can turn them out and sell them store later in the year, or we can finish them, but at 14 to 15 months and not 18 to 22 months as before.”

As the family approach the end of their time as monitor farmers, they are keen to establish a legacy to the programme in the area and hold a few follow-up meetings in years to come to update the group on the long-term progression of the changes made from the programme.

The Mitchell family are convinced that their farm is in a better place now than when it started the monitor farm programme and that the business will continue to move in the right direction.

A key aspect of the Monitor Farm programme is finding ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs and Peter Eccles at Saughland Farm in Midlothian is delighted that establishing a fodder beet crop to feed his 2,000 ewe flock has done just that.

The Lothians Monitor farm is a partnership between neighbouring farms; the 330-hectare livestock unit of Saughland, managed by Mr Eccles and the arable farm, Prestonhall, managed by Bill Gray.

It 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.

Now into his final year of the programme, Mr Eccles has already made significant improvements at Saughland. The rotational grazing system he introduced has resulted in an increase in stocking numbers and ewe productivity has been improved in an outdoor lambing system by using Aberfield and Romney genetics.

Always open to new ideas, he was intrigued to see if fodder beet could be used to keep the nutrition right in his ewes over the winter. Inspired by former monitor farmer, John Scott, who had established a fodder beet crop on Fearn farm in Tain, and with the support of the monitor farm community group and facilitators, Mr Eccles decided to grow 6.5 hectares of fodder beet at Saughland last year.

The cost benefits have been considerable. He said: “Fodder beet was expensive to establish at over £650 per hectare, but the yield of over 100 tonnes per hectare fresh weight and 20 tonnes dry matter meant it cost 3.25p per kg dry matter to produce compared to feed barley at 20p per kg DM.”

If he had fed homegrown silage in place of fodder beet on the same area of land, Mr Eccles 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.

Mr Eccles accepts that the weather has been on his side, as the dry winter made it relatively easy to lift half the crop while the ewes grazed the rest in great conditions. However, he believes that as long as he sows it on fairly free draining land and offers the sheep a run back, there should not be too many problems with mud in a wetter year.

He said: “We lifted about a third of the crop before Christmas and stacked it outdoors surrounded by straw bales. It kept very well for seven weeks and we used it to feed batches of ewes in fields.

Around 1,000 ewes strip-grazed the remainder from the second week in January with an allocation of one kg of dry matter per day and with continual access to good silage. Mr Eccles kept 300 twin ewes grazing the fodder beet in March but put the rest of the flock onto rotational grass to make use of the early growth this year.

He commented: “We have found the fodder beet a great, inexpensive source of energy, ideal for filling the nutrition gap in January and February. It has really put condition on the ewes with little waste; utilisation of the crop has been 90 per cent.”

Fodder beet has a very deep tap root; about twice the size of a turnip, with twice as much dry matter. The sheep ate down to the last third to quarter of the tuber then a grubber was used to pull the remainder to the surface for the ewes to polish off. Mr Eccles said: “They seem to absolutely love it and so far we have had no broken mouth problems although it is something we will keep an eye on.”

Mr Eccles is aware that fodder beet requires careful management when being fed to pregnant ewes. He said: “Although a great source of energy, fodder beet alone is too low in protein to meet the ewes’ requirements in the final month of pregnancy. I have arranged for the twin bearing ewes to be blood sampled to check their energy and protein levels and have a couple of options to top up their nutrition if required.

“Ewes requiring extra nutrition can either be fed high quality grass silage (11.3ME and 14.8 per cent Crude Protein) and some soya ewe rolls. Or we could rotate the ewes through the lambing paddocks and utilise the flush of grass we have this year. We don’t start lambing until mid-April so by then I hope feed demand is matched entirely by grass growth.”

Last year, two varieties of beet, were grown at Saughland; ‘’Blaze’’, which has a bigger root and sits higher in the ground making it ideal for grazing, while ‘’Blizzard’’ was deeper rooting with about 70% of the tuber underground and therefore better for harvesting.

Mr Eccles found that there were advantages to both and would definitely grow two varieties again. He said: “Having had problems establishing turnips in the past due to weed and pest control problems, fodder beet was easier to manage and the yield was outstanding.”

The other advantage of fodder beet is that, sown in the rotation after a forage crop such as kale, it provides a good entry for a five-year grass ley.

Mr Eccles is delighted with the way the ewes have performed through the winter on the fodder beet and plans to increase the area to about nine hectares this year split across two fields to make access easier. He is also considering feeding it to some of his cattle youngstock. Although he acknowledges that the true test will come in a wet year but, for the moment, Mr Eccles cannot see anything better for winter fodder at Saughland.

The benefits of developing a succession plan for your business will be discussed at the next Lochaber Monitor Farm meeting on Monday 18 March.

The free evening meeting, which will be held at the Nevis Centre in Fort William between 7pm and 9.30pm, will try and encourage farming families to begin discussing this sometimes-sensitive topic and prepare their businesses for the future.

At the meeting, Heather Wildman from Saviour Associates will emphasise the importance of having a vision for the future of businesses and will highlight the positives of developing a succession plan. She will also share some practical tips and advice to those yet to develop a succession plan for their own business.

“It is never too early to think about succession planning,” said Mrs Wildman. “Openness, recognising family members differences and listening to each other’s aspirations are all key foundation blocks to a successful transition.”

Mrs Wildman, who has published a guide to succession aimed at farmers, acknowledges that every farm business and situation is different, and it’s important that each business develops a succession plan which works for them.

At the event on 18 March, Mrs Wildman will address some of the reasons why those involved in farming often avoid planning for succession and suggest some questions that farmers and their families should ask themselves at the start of the planning process.

Strone farm, Lochaber’s monitor farm in Banavie near Fort William, is run by father and son team Malcolm and Chris Cameron. The family developed a succession plan some time ago and although Chris has been an active partner in the family business for some years, Malcolm is now supporting Chris as he gains confidence in running the business. This is ideal  preparation for when Malcolm decides to retire.

Malcolm Cameron said: “Farmers are also incredibly busy people so it can be difficult to find the time to consider long term succession planning. However, it makes sense to have a plan in place well in advance as we have done at Strone to help secure the future of your business.”

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 18 March will be held at the Nevis Centre, in Fort William and will begin 7pm and finish at 9.30pm. To book your attendance please contact facilitators Niall Campbell or George Gauley on 01631 563093 or email fbsoban@sac.co.uk.

The benefits of collaboration and partnership working will be the subject of the next Sutherland monitor farm meeting on Wednesday 13 March.

At the meeting, which is being held at Brora Golf Club and begins at 11am, Bob Simpson from Castlemains Farm near North Berwick will speak about how his business has benefited from working collaboratively with others.

Castlemains is a 235-hectare arable enterprise growing a mix of winter wheat, spring barley, oilseed rape and winter barley as well as combining peas and Brussel sprouts.

Mr Simpson is a keen advocate of co-operative working and has seen both his own, and other rural businesses in his area flourish as a result of working together and establishing farmers’ co-operatives.

At the meeting Mr Simpson will highlight three ventures that he has been involved in over the last twenty years. The first, ‘’Law Farmers’’, was established in the early 1990’s and involves six arable businesses. Together the businesses benefit from economy of scale as they buy fuel and fertiliser together. The group have also invested jointly in two large combines that are shared between the businesses as well as being available to several other local farms on a contract basis.

Mr Simpson also profited from being part of ‘’East Lothian Potatoes Group’’ for 15 growing seasons where he, along with a dozen other potato growers, produced a combined 7,500 tonnes of potatoes each year, with the group negotiating the price with major crisp manufacturers collectively.

The pea growing enterprise at Castlemains is also part of an active co-operative – the ‘’Scottish Borders Produce’’ which has over 50 members in the north of England and south of Scotland. Together they negotiate the price of the peas they grow (a total of 1,556 hectares in 2017) and, with the support of a central co-ordinator, ensure the peas are supplied to the freezing plant in Eyemouth throughout the year within an hour and half of them being harvested.

Mr Simpson is adamant that being part of the co-op has been good for his business. “Unity is strength,” he said.

“Being part of co-operatives has allowed me to increase the efficiency and profitability of my business in so many ways; sharing labour and machinery costs, cost savings when buying fuel and fertiliser collectively and bigger bargaining power when selling my product.”

Collaboration is something that Jason and Victoria Ballantyne from Clynelish Farm, Sutherland’s monitor farm, are very keen to try and establish in their own area.

“Bob has a great take on how farmers working collaboratively can achieve more and we’re really looking forward to hearing from him. We feel there is a huge amount of potential for arable and livestock farmers in our region to work better together to benefit all businesses and it will be interesting to see what comes out of this meeting,” said Vic Ballantyne.

At the monitor Farm meeting in December the community group were asked to come up with some ideas for scenarios for change for Clynelish to help them improve the farm business. Following this the Ballantynes have chosen six of these options for further consideration and budgeting.

Kev Bevan, a senior consultant from SAC Consulting, has done some forward budget costs for each of the six scenarios and will present his findings for each at the meeting, explaining the different impact each option could have on the profitability of the current business. 

“We have been talking about making some pretty radical changes for a while, but a big leap of faith needs some good numbers behind it,” said Jason Ballantyne.

He added: “Everything is on the table, including total restructure of both the cattle and sheep enterprises. Kev knows our business well having benchmarked it for over 10 years, so we are very interested in hearing what options are viable and what those in the community group think of them.” 

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 March 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.

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.