It might be Halloween, but the attendees of the upcoming Morayshire Monitor Farm meeting on Tuesday 31 October will be unearthing undies, rather than donning costumes!
At the meeting, which is focused on soil management, monitor farmer Iain Green will reveal how the cotton underpants buried way back in September have fared using the theory that the worse the condition of the pants, the better the condition of the soil.
Iain says: “I’m really interested to see the state all the underpants are in. The theory behind the Soil my Undies test is that the cotton will be devoured by the microbes and bacteria in the soil, so the more you have the better. We buried them in different fields, some which we think have healthier soil, and others which aren’t as good, so I expect to see some pants in much worse condition than others.”
The meeting will also look at a number of other areas important for soil health, including soil compaction and tyre pressure, GPS soil sampling and liming products.
AHDB Knowledge Transfer Manager Emily Smith will lead the session at the soil pits where the group will discuss levels of compaction, working out where in the soil profile issues are apparent and how best to alleviate any damage.
For facilitator Sam Stewart, the compaction issue is particularly relevant after such a wet harvest. She says: “Because we had so much rain this year everyone had to get out into the field whenever they could to get the crop in, whether that was grain or grass. That means there could be a fair bit of damage with machinery on ground which below surface level would still have been very wet.”
With machinery still the main cause of compacted ground the event will also have demos from Michelin and JCB. Tony Powell from Michelin will demonstrate the different levels of compaction caused by different tyre pressures while Angus Fettes from JCB will show attendees how tractors with four evenly sized tyres can put less pressure on the soil.
The final session will compare soil sampling methods, as well as contrasting the quality of different liming products on the market.
On the soil sampling side, one of Iain’s fields was sampled using three different methods, the traditional grid method and two GPS-based techniques. David Ross from SAC Consulting will discuss the benefits of using GPS methods outlining both the cost of each method, as well as the likely gain.
Project facilitator Derek Hanton will discuss the liming products which he has sampled for neutralising value, total magnesium and calcium, as well as putting them through a sieve to assess grain size.
The Monitor Farm meeting will take place on Corskie Farm, Garmouth, IV32 7NN, on Tuesday 31 October from 1.30pm until 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 548 787) or email (samantha.stewart@sac.co.uk).
Livestock and arable farmers can both gain from collaboration but it’s a fine balance to ensure both parties benefit.
That was the key message at the recent Lothians Monitor Farm meeting, where Farm Managers Bill Gray and Peter Eccles are developing a closer collaboration on their neighbouring farms.
Already the two farms share labour during busy periods but they are now exploring sharing land.
Arable farmer Bill has planted up one of Prestonhall’s fields with a stubble turnip cover crop, which Peter will then use to finish some of his lambs. The aim is to improve the structure and organic matter of Bill’s soils for his next arable crop, while Peter gains high energy feed for finishing his larger lamb crop.
Bill explains: “When I look at my field of stubble turnips I think they look great – thick leafy growth which will provide plenty of biomass and increase the organic matter in the soil. But when livestock farmers like Pete look at it they are worried that the bulbs might not grow big enough and so won’t provide as much dry matter for his lambs as he was hoping for.
“It’s a fine balance because I need that biomass but he needs good growth rates. The main thing is we are determined to make it work, so we can show other farmers how they can share resources in a way that can benefit both businesses.”
Peter, who manages next door Saughland Farm, agrees: “This is a huge learning curve, we just need to try things out and then review whether we both got what we needed, whether it was worth the effort for both farms and then work out what, if anything, we need to change. This time next year we will know so much more.”
Local arable and livestock farmers joined in discussions in the turnip field, debating how the lambs should be managed, how to protect their rumen from the transition from grass to turnips, how much dry matter the field should provide and how many lambs could be finished on it, allowing Bill to recoup his establishment costs.
For project manager Gavin Dick, AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Knowledge Exchange Manager, this type of planned collaboration between local livestock and arable farmers is exactly what he wants to see from the Monitor Farm Scotland programme.
He says: “I’ve worked on Monitor Farms for years and this is the first time I have experienced this type of discussion, with livestock and arable farmers standing in the same field debating how it can be used to benefit a livestock and an arable enterprise.
“We need to be having these types of discussions across farms in Scotland, so we can improve our resource use efficiency across the board, in ways which benefit the bottom line. It can be done, if farmers are willing to engage in debate and try new things.”
The steps needed to maximise profit from pasture were highlighted to farmers and crofters attending the recent Sutherland Monitor Farm meeting.
Jason Ballantyne and his wife Vic, in partnership with Jason’s dad Murdo, run the 125-hectare Clynelish farm where they have adopted a strategy of almost 100% forage-based diets for their sheep and cattle enterprises.
The family run 80 outwintered suckler cows with calves sold store at 10 months of age. There is also a flock of 900 breeding ewes of which about half are Lairg type Cheviots and the other half Lleyn cross. The ewes currently lamb outdoors at the end of April.
Trevor Cook, a grazing consultant and qualified vet from New Zealand, was the guest speaker at the meeting and emphasised that the use of rotational grazing could result in up to 50%
more usable yield from pasture. With grass being the cheapest feed option for livestock, increasing the amount of grass available can help reduce costs and increase output.
Mr Cook said the two key aspects to consider are grass growth (pasture supply) and livestock needs (pasture demand). Controlling grazing will help match supply and demand as closely as possible.
“The aim is to ensure that grass, rather than supplementary feeds, makes up as much of the diet as possible. These principles apply no matter where in the world you are farming,” said Mr Cook.
“Knowing how much feed you have, and how much feed you need will help you plan your grazing and achieve as much production as possible from the grass you have available.”
Mr Cook also explained to the group the need to consider supply in terms of pasture cover at the start, required pasture cover at end and the expected pasture growth rate.
Demand, or the amount of feed animals need to eat, will depend on their stage of production, but can easily be calculated as a percentage of their liveweight.
“For example, when ewes are being rotationally grazed during winter there will be little grass growth, but ewe demand during mid pregnancy is also low. Doing a quick calculation will allow what grass is available to be rationed, and will highlight when supplements such as hay or silage will need to be fed,” said Mr Cook.
He also highlighted the need to regularly check this calculation by monitoring pasture covers and to assess the feed available ahead as well as monitoring animal body condition.
Mr Cook also discussed the grazing management regime required by the Ballantynes to ensure great grass swards for 2018 and suggested Jason and Victoria get a plate meter for measuring their grass so they can more accurately monitor sward height.
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.
A range of very illuminating results of some “test my vest” soil trials were shared at the recent Lochaber Monitor Farm meeting.
Back in June members of the Monitor Farm community group buried their cotton vests in order to investigate soil quality on farms in the area
Six of the community group members brought what was left of the vests they had buried to the meeting, as well as a sample of the soil that the vests were buried in. Soil analysis was carried out on the samples from each trial and soil expert Bill Crooks of SRUC examined the soil plugs leading a fascinating discussion on soil structure and texture.
The results highlighted low potash in some soils and addressing this will be a focus for a future meeting. Potash is important for photosynthesis and is particularly important for maintaining good clover content. Soil magnesium levels were also low in many of the samples and in grassland systems this can be an animal health concern.
Another problem area identified and discussed at the meeting was the wide variation in pH levels, with some samples as low as 4.7, well below target levels.
Mr Crooks emphasised the need for those with pH levels below 5.5 to focus on increasing the pH level in their soil via lime application as a priority.
“There are many other factors which impact soil quality including moisture, temperature, soil type and texture,” he said.
“Farmers looking to improve their soil quality should not rely solely on the soil analysis results they receive. There is also a need to ensure they have a fertiliser management plan in place first and then soil testing can be used to make sure it is effective
The wet summer in Lochaber has meant host farmer Chris Cameron and his father Malcolm had to graze a reseeded field which had been scheduled to be cut for silage.
However, despite not getting a cut from this field, the Camerons were still relatively pleased with the grass quality at Strone, and approximately 60 more bales were made this year compared to 2016.
This, they explained, was a result of ewes moving to their summer grazing in Inverness a couple of weeks earlier than the previous year giving the grass at home the opportunity for some extra growth during these weeks.
Chris Cameron also updated the community group on a collaboration they have been involved in with fellow monitor farmers from Angus – the Stodart family.
A total of 250 of their wedder lambs, weighing between 32-33kg, were sold to Mill of Inverarity, the Angus Monitor Farm, at the end of August. The lambs will be finished in Angus with the aim to have them finished and sold before Christmas after which the data will be shared between both farms.
“This was a great opportunity to get involved with other monitor farms in the programme and help each other out. Sharing the data will let us see how well our lambs have performed once sold and give us facts and figures to help make decisions for the future – something we are currently lacking,” said Chris Cameron.
The Lochaber 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 next Lochaber Monitor Farm meeting will be held on 16 November 2017 when the focus will move to winter rationing and housing stock during the winter months.
To book your attendance (and lunch!) please contact the project facilitators Niall Campbell and Morven McArthur, SAC consulting, Oban on 01631 563093 or email fbsoban@sac.co.uk.
With the tupping season fast approaching the next meeting of the Shetland Monitor Farm on Sunday 8th October will focus on ways to make sure that ewes and tups are in peak condition to maximise fertility levels.
At the meeting, which begins at 11am at Bigton Hall, sheep specialist Poppy Frater from SRUC, Scotland’s Rural College, will lead a discussion on how to ensure a ewe’s nutritional needs are met during pregnancy. She will also highlight the importance of carrying out an MOT on tups before the go out with the ewes.
Poppy Frater said: “Correct feeding during key periods is essential to ensure you maximise the potential of your flock in terms of lambing percentage and the survival and growth of your lambs.”
She added: “Planning your diets ahead to ensure the nutrients requirements of your flock are met can also reduce the overall feed cost.”
Monitor farm hosts, Kirsty and Aimee Budge from Bigton Farm, have kept 80 of their gimmers this year and now have a breeding flock of 280 ewes, as well as six Suffolk tups. Attendees will have an opportunity to view the tups from Bigton after lunch, when the group moves to the farm. A vet from Shetland Vets will also highlight the importance of carrying out a MOT on tups before they go out with the ewes.
Monitor farm hosts Kirsty and Aimee Budge will give an update on how the sale season has gone so far. The sisters send their prime lambs down to Thainstone once they reach their target weight of 40kg liveweight, however 53 of their store lambs sold in Lerwick earlier this month.
Kirsty Budge commented: “We are really happy with the prices we got this year for our store lambs. The trade was strong on the day and we got a higher price compared to last year, and managed to get them to market a month earlier.”
Samples of the autumn forage being grazed at Bigton and other neighbouring farms have been sent to the lab for analysis and the results will be shared at the meeting and discussed. The Budge sisters will also report on how the harvest of the farm’s 24 hectares of spring barley went.
Aimee Budge said: “We had some drama during harvest this year when our combine broke on the last day. Luckily our neighbour John Leslie came to our rescue and brought the last two hectares in for us.”
She added: “The good news is that the quality of the crop this year is brilliant and the spring barley came off the field at just 19% moisture.”
The Shetland 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 Shetland Monitor Farm meetings are open and free for all farmers and crofters to attend. Attendees will also have an input into the topics covered, the speakers invited to meetings and visits to other enterprises and businesses. Lunch will be provided and the meeting will finish at 3pm.
To book your attendance (and lunch!) please contact the project facilitator Graham Fraser, SAC Consulting Lerwick on 01595 693520 by Wednesday 4 October, or email frbslerwick@sac.co.uk
Farmers attending the next Lothians Monitor Farm meeting on Thursday 5 October will discover how the two farms’ collaboration on land and labour is working out, as well as reviewing the arable harvest and livestock performance.
The group will visit one of the main areas of partnership between the farms; the stubble turnip cover crops established at Prestonhall, which will then be used to feed some of Saughland’s lambs next year. There will also be feedback on the labour sharing at harvest plus the group will see Prestonhall’s new biomass boiler.
Project facilitator Colin MacPhail says: “This meeting is the ideal opportunity to look back at some of our key priorities, for example demonstrating how neighbouring farms can work together to benefit both businesses, and improving the efficiency of both Prestonhall’s arable operation and Saughland’s livestock enterprises.”
On the arable side the farmers will review how the main crop varieties have performed this season, using the information to shape farm manager Bill Gray’s plans for the coming season. They will also discuss the crop protection strategy, the farm operation and marketing.
Bill says: “I’m looking forward to sharing the trials and tribulations of this harvest and the challenges of the upcoming autumn and explore what lessons we can all learn from it. In addition, we can have a look at our grain marketing in a little more detail. This is a key part of any farm business and we at Prestonhall have taken steps to create some strategy. At the meeting we will assess what we’ve achieved so far and look ahead to the rest of the campaign to try and optimise our output while managing the risks.”
There will be a similar review session for the livestock group with Saughland’s Peter Eccles where they will focus on how the genetics performed and how they might be changed for next season, the animal heath strategy, as well as also looking at the farm operation and marketing.
Peter says: “With 2,500 breeding sheep now on farm at Saughland we will be looking not only at how they performed this season but how we can get the most out of them next year. We will discuss the breeding strategy and pre tupping management which includes body condition scoring, nutrition, trace element supplementation, relevant vaccinations and parasite challenges. The continued wet weather is impacting on all of these so I feel there will be great value in sharing and discussing as a group, ways to mitigate potential loss in production next year.”
The Lothians Monitor farm is 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 5 October will start at Rosemains, Pathhead, EH37 5UQ with tea and coffee from 9.15am. Lunch will be provided and the meeting is expected to finish by 2pm, however arable farmers will be able to leave by 12.30pm if necessary. All are welcome and the event is free.
For catering purposes, those interested in coming along on 5 October should confirm attendance with Colin MacPhail on 07747 046461 or at colin@macphailconsulting.co.uk.
As tupping time approaches, the health and nutrition of ewes and tups will be under discussion at the next Nithsdale Monitor Farm meeting at Clonhie, near Penpont on Thursday 5th October.
At the meeting, which is free to attend and starts at 11am, host farmer Andrew Marchant will give an update on the farm’s activities since the last meeting and share his plans for his flock for the breeding season ahead.
“We currently have 975 ewes and are keen to strengthen the genetics in our breeding flock so we use a combination of Aberfield tups – to boost maternal sire traits – and Beltex/Texel tups, for good terminal sire traits,” said Andrew Marchant.
The 18 tups at Clonhie, which include a new Innovis Highlander tup bought by the Marchants earlier this year, will be turned out on 10 November and Mr Marchant is keen to see how they perform.
At the meeting next week, Alistair Padkin from Nithsdale vets will give a practical demonstration using one of the tups from Clonhie and highlight how to carry out a tup MOT before the breeding season starts. He will be joined by sheep advisor and monitor farm facilitator Rhidian Jones, who will outline the importance of having ewes in the optimal condition score before they go to the tup.
Mr Jones said: “The correct nutrition of ewes lays the foundation for a successful and profitable flock, and knowing how to condition score is the simplest and most effective way to assess if you are feeding your ewes correctly.
“Ewes in the run up to tupping should be between condition score 3 and 3.5. During pregnancy, the ewe’s condition score should be maintained at around 3 in order to maximise their scanning percentage.”
Ensuring the ewes have adequate nutrition throughout the winter is key and Clonhie and have sown four hectares of kale and swedes for the first time this May, to supplement winter grazing and reduce the need for feeding concentrates.
The farm has also developed a feed budget, which they will share at the meeting next week, which shows how much grass the farm is likely to have over the winter, in addition to the winter crops.
Clonhie currently operates both an early and late lambing system, with 150 Texel cross ewes lambing inside in February and the main flock of North Cheviot / Lleyn cross ewes lambing outside in late April. With no additional labour on the farm, Mr Marchant needs a system that is both cost effective, and makes the best use of his time. The farm has therefore conducted a cost comparison of both systems to provide guidance for the future, the results of which will be shared at the next meeting.
The Marchants currently sell their prime lambs through Vivers and aim for a deadweight of 19-19.5kg. They are keen to see if they could finish their lambs quicker and ran some small-scale comparison trials with their 2017 lamb crop to see if there was a difference in growth rates and weaning weights in castrated lambs compared to those left entire. They also looked at how lambs offered a creep feed compared to those without access to creep.
Additionally, the weights of lambs given a Cobalt B12 injection were also monitored over the summer and compared with other lambs that didn’t receive the supplement. The results of the trial will be shared at the meeting.
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.
Monitor farm meetings are open and free for all farmers to attend. The meeting at Clonhie meeting will begin at 11am and finish at 2.30pm, with lunch provided.
To book your place please contact Judith Hutchison, by 12 noon on Monday 2 October on 07718 919055 or email judith.agridigm@icloud.com
Finding ways to improve sheep performance will be the main topic of discussion at the next Borders Monitor Farm meeting, at host farm Whitriggs on Thursday 28 September.
The 480 hectare farm near Denholm is run by Robert and Lesley Mitchell, along with their son Stuart. The family are constantly looking for ways to improve the performance of their livestock, which as well as 140 suckler cows, includes 1,000 Lleyns which lamb inside at the end of March.
The farm recently undertook a benchmarking exercise using AHDB’s FarmBench system, which identified that although costs are well under control, there may be opportunities to increase output from the sheep enterprise.
The flock at Whitriggs currently scans at around 180%, which the Mitchells would like to improve slightly if they can, and therefore increase output from the flock.
At the meeting on 28 September the need to ensure ewes and tups are in optimal health and body condition as the tupping period approaches, will be a focus. Vet Matt Colston from Elanco will give a practical demonstration on how to condition score ewes as well as how to carry out a ram “MOT”.
He said: “Tupping represents the beginning of the sheep year; a successful start is an essential foundation for a profitable enterprise, as a small lamb crop conceived at tupping limits the enterprise from the very start.”
The second part of the meeting will look at ways to optimise lamb growth and performance.
Independent consultant Ian Cairns will outline what the limiting factors in growth rates are and what can be done to improve them.
The Mitchells currently sell their prime lambs through Farmstock Scotland and aim for deadweights of 19-20kg, with the first lambs ready at the beginning of August.
Robert Mitchell commented: “We are generally quite happy with the spec and weight of the prime lambs we produce, however we think that there is an opportunity to finish our lambs a month quicker”.
Health and nutrition are key to achieving good lamb growth rates and Andrew Robinson from Hawick vets will discuss how to optimise nutrition in lambs. He will also outline the feed plan he has developed for Whitriggs to help improve their ewe’s milking ability and early stage growth rates.
Whitriggs farm 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 28 September will start at Whitriggs Farm, Denholm, TD9 8QR with tea and coffee at 9.45am. Lunch will be provided and the meeting is expected to finish by 2pm. All are welcome and the event is free.
For catering purposes, those interested in coming along on 28 September should confirm attendance with Stephen Young, one of the project facilitators, on 07502 339613 or email stephen.young@saos.coop.
The importance of ensuring finished livestock meet market specifications will be the main topic for discussion at the next meeting of the North Ayrshire Monitor farm on Wednesday 20 September.
The evening meeting, which will be held at Girtridge Farm, Dundonald, KA2 9BX, will begin at 7pm with a barbecue serving Scotch Beef burgers, courtesy of A K Stoddart Ltd.
The focus will be a live assessment of both cattle and sheep with two main speakers – Jim Gibb from processor AK Stoddart Ltd and Colin Mair of prime cattle and lamb marketing co-operative, Farmstock Scotland.
Host monitor farmer, John Howie, runs the 140-hectare Girtridge Farm in partnership with his mother Margaret and his sister Mary. They also own an additional 35 hectares of grazing nearby.
As well as the 200 bought-in cattle that they finish, the Howies run their own small suckler herd and 140 breeding ewes.
He said: “To optimise the potential of our livestock whilst targeting market specification is a huge challenge that can have massive financial implications. With the added element of being 100% grass fed this summer it has been a steep learning curve but we are very pleased with the results!”
At the meeting next week, Mr Gibb from AK Stoddart will lead a discussion on cattle assessment and grading and Mr Mair from Farmstock Scotland will discuss lamb assessment and marketing. Those present will then have an opportunity to try their hand at grading live cattle and prime lambs from Girtridge. A follow up visit to AK Stoddart has been arranged over the next couple of weeks for interested members of the community group so that they can see the carcases of the cattle that they graded at the meeting.
Also at the meeting on 20 September, John Howie will give an update on what has been happening at the farm since the last meeting in June. He will also share the plans for a new cattle handling system for Girtridge, the design of which was discussed at the May meeting, and seek feedback on the plans from those attending.
The North Ayrshire Monitor Farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established around Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds. The aim of the programme, which is funded by Scottish Government, is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
To book your Scotch Beef burger and confirm your attendance at the next North Ayrshire Monitor farm meeting please contact facilitators Raymond Crerar and Carol-Anne Warnock, SAC Consulting Ayr on 01292 525252, or email FBSAyr@sac.co.uk
Farmers and crofters are invited to the next meeting of the Sutherland Monitor Farm, which will focus on ways Scottish livestock farmers can improve the utilisation of grass on their farms to maximise output and keep costs down.
Trevor Cook, a grazing consultant and qualified vet from New Zealand, will be the guest speaker at the meeting, which will be held at Brora Golf Club on Wednesday 13 September.
At the meeting Mr Cook will share his extensive knowledge on how livestock farmers can set up a grazing management system on their own farms. He will then go on to look at the key drivers of the benefits and profit in such a system.
The group will then work together to develop some simple feed demands and calculations.
Trevor Cook has been working with Vic and Jason Ballantyne from Clynelish Farm, the Sutherland Monitor Farm, over the last year and has already helped them review their grazing management strategy and outline ways they can increase their output from grass.
Jason Ballantyne commented: “One of the things Trevor does extremely well is make you appreciate how important it is to manage your grass correctly and how planning ahead can help you get the most from it.
“Being a vet, he can also demonstrate the importance of getting both the health and nutrition right in order to optimise performance of your livestock.”
Victoria Ballantyne added: “What we love about Trevor Cook is that he is really profit focused, which is important to us, so he won’t suggest something unless it will make strong financial sense to do it.”
As well as 80 suckler cows, the Ballantynes run 900 breeding ewes, of which about half are Lairg type Cheviots and the other half Lleyn cross. The couple’s store lambs are generally sold through Dingwall Mart or off farm privately with a small number of prime lambs going to Elgin (Mey Selections).
This year the family produced 1,300 lambs, 900 of which were sold as stores at Dingwall last month.
After lunch at the forthcoming meeting, Jason and Vic Ballantyne will share their recent store lamb sales data with those present and the group will compare the figures with previous years’ data.
“We are really quite pleased with the price we got for this year’s store lambs. Although trade was slightly down this year, our lambs averaged £53.43, which was slightly higher than 2016,” said Mr Ballantyne.
The group will then head to Clynelish farm to have a look at what winter grazing options can be implemented on the farm, with input from Trevor and other local farmers.
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 Brora Golf Club, which is free to attend and open to all, will begin at 11am, with coffee/registration from 10.30am.
To book your attendance at the next Sutherland Monitor farm meeting on Wednesday 13 September please contact Willie Budge or Cat MacGregor, the project facilitators at SAC Consulting Thurso on 01847 892602 or email FBSThurso@sac.co.uk