Roxburghshire Monitor Farm meeting to discuss opportunities on the family farm
Exploring how farming businesses can identify opportunities, make informed financial decisions and use diversification to build resilience for the future will be key topics at the next Roxburghshire Monitor Farm open meeting, which is now open for booking.
The afternoon meeting, on Thursday 30 July at Cowbog near Kelso, is the final open summer meeting on the farm as part of the four-year Monitor Farm Scotland programme. It will focus on ‘Taking opportunities on the family farm’.
Speakers will share practical insights on positioning your business to assess and take opportunities, making informed decisions, plus planning and diversification to build a resilient future for family farming businesses.
Following detailed business analysis, the Wilson family at Cowbog have made strategic changes, including reducing their arable enterprise to create a more agile and livestock-focused business that is better positioned to respond to future opportunities. During a farm walk and discussion, Monitor Farmer Robert Wilson will share insights into the farm’s development, key changes and experiences throughout the programme. The Wilson family’s diversified business, Wilson’s Farm and Kitchen, will provide dinner at the end of the meeting.
Robert will be joined by three other speakers at the meeting, including Sam Charlton, the founder of Planning for Profit, a five-day programme that helps farmers build more profitable, resilient businesses through practical, hands-on learning. Inspired by the Ranching for Profit methodology, Sam will be discussing taking opportunities. This will include exploring how to position your business, identify, assess and act on opportunities for growth, diversification and strategic change within the family farm.
Alasdair Ralston from MSP Agriculture will discuss grass and forage establishment. He will be sharing practical insights on mixture selection, establishment techniques and maximising performance from grass and forage when converting from arable to long-term grass.
Berwickshire pig farmer Adam Marshall, co-founder of Oink which has three shops in Edinburgh selling pulled pork and offers hog roast catering, will talk about building successful agricultural businesses. His session will include discussions exploring business growth, diversification and the connection between farming, food production and catering.
Iona Smith, Monitor Farm regional manager says: “We’re looking forward to welcoming people to this final summer open meeting on the Roxburghshire Monitor Farm. It is an opportunity to hear real experiences, ask questions and take away practical ideas that could support the future of your own farming business.”
- Roxburghshire Monitor Farm open summer meeting ‘Taking opportunities on the family farm’ on Thursday 30 July from 3.30pm til 7pm at Cowbog Farm, Kelso, TD5 8EH. Catering is provided, so booking is essential: https://TakingOpportunitiesOnTheFamilyFarm.eventbrite.co.uk
East Lothian Monitor Farm summer meeting now open for booking
Updates on the arable sector and its future will be some of the key discussions at the East Lothian Monitor Farm open summer meeting on Wednesday 22 July, which is now open for booking.
The meeting, which runs from 4pm to 7pm at Castleton Farm, North Berwick, will explore key issues shaping the future of farming. It is the final summer meeting at the farm as part of the four-year Monitor Farm Scotland programme which has been running since 2022.
Iona Smith, Monitor Farm regional adviser says: “We will hear from industry experts about workforce development, business planning, crop policy, and market influences, and there will be an open discussion, followed by dinner provided by Drift, the farm’s clifftop eatery.”
A Monitor Farm update from host farmer Stuart McNicol will include a discussion about learnings from the programme, including practical changes that have improved resilience, efficiency, and business performance.
Another speaker at the event, Gillian McFadyen from Borders College, will discuss apprenticeships, future career pathways in agriculture, and how businesses can access and recruit skilled staff through the college. Attendees will learn about the opportunities available to both young people entering the industry and to employers looking to strengthen their workforce.
Agronomists Stevie Gray and Greg Dawson from Scottish Agronomy will give an update on profitability and fertiliser prices, and how current market conditions could influence future farm planning and business decision-making.
Attendees will also have a crop policy update, along with his views on the future outlook for the sector and what it could mean for arable businesses from Davie Michie, head of food and farming policy at NFU Scotland.
Iona adds: “We look forward to welcoming everyone to the East Lothian Monitor Farm on Wednesday 22 July. It’s a valuable opportunity to hear from industry specialists, gain practical insights, and take away ideas to help future-proof your own farming business.”
- East Lothian Monitor Farm final open summer meeting ‘Looking To The Future – Farm 24’ on Wednesday 22 July 4pm til 7pm at Castleton Farm, North Berwick, EH39 5PN. Catering is provided, so booking is essential: https://EastLothianSummerMeetingLookingToTheFuture.eventbrite.co.uk
Auchernack, in the heart of the Cairngorms enters its fourth and final year as the Strathspey Monitor Farm.
The meeting theme, ‘Trusting the Process’ highlights the importance of long-term planning and commitment in four important areas;
- Bull choice
- Use of long-term data and information
- Greening requirements of Highland livestock
farms - Planning for the next generation
Read the Full Report Here
https://www.monitorfarms.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Strathspey-Open-Day-26-Report.pdf
The importance of making livestock health and farm business decisions based on good use of data and information are joint themes at the Deeside Monitor Farm final summer open meeting at Meikle Maldron, Banchory.
Read the latest press release here.
The Irvine Family have grown their business at Sauchentree for nearly 250 years. There’s been rapid growth over the last 36 months and Bruce has established a new 32,000 laying hen unit.
Enterprise costings, farming opportunities, banking and entrepreneurship have all featured in discussions within the Banff &
Buchan Monitor Farm Management Group.
The presenters at this final Summer Open Meeting brought together these themes under the title,
‘How to Grow Your (Farm) Business’.
Read the report here!
With this summer’s seed orders in mind, farmers can use a new in-depth report on overwintering forage crops to help make drilling decisions. The Monitor Farm Scotland and SAC Consulting practical guide covers everything from cost of production and yield to nutritional analysis – and found that protein levels in some crops far exceeded traditional book values.
Carried out across four North-east Scotland farms, the project ‘Maximising the potential of forage crops in a challenging climate’ looked in-depth at 10 forage crops, from establishment to feeding performance. Read the press release here.
A process – n. a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end.
Calum and Hamish Smith will discuss how the right processes bring confidence to their decision making as they gradually succeed their parents, Malcolm and Sammie on their Highland livestock farm.
Bull choices, data for decision making, EFA in practice and farm business planning are on the menu at the Strathspey Monitor Farm Summer Open Meeting at Auchernack, Grantown on Spey on Wednesday 3rd June, from 4.30pm.
Find out more and sign up
Like Bruce Irvine, the Banff and Buchan Monitor Farmer, many farmers and others have been asking ‘How do I grow my business?’
To answer this question, the Monitor Farm Open Meeting at Sauchentree Farm, Fraserburgh, from 12.45pm on Friday 29th May, brings together seven dynamic presenters, with their suggestions.
Find out more and book your place
Improving herd efficiency and profitability through data-driven decision-making.
While many farmers collect detailed performance data, translating that information into confident, financially robust breeding and management decisions remains a challenge.
Monitor Farm Scotland is a four-year programme funded by the Scottish Government and managed by QMS and AHDB. With nine Monitor Farms located across Scotland, the initiative uses real commercial farms to test new approaches, share knowledge, and improve productivity, profitability and sustainability across the sector.
SAC Consulting has been working with Monitor Farm Scotland since it began and recently collaborated with them on the challenge of using the right data to make the right decisions for the benefit of farm businesses.
With M2Accountants and Brodies LLP at the Saplinbrae, Mintlaw, Feb 2026