The next Borders Monitor Farm meeting, at host farm Whitriggs on Wednesday August 9th, will focus on costs of production and soil health.
The 480-hectare farm near Denholm is run by Robert and Lesley Mitchell, along with son Stuart who are keen to develop their farm business and identify options to increase the efficiency of their production systems.
Whitriggs has 442 hectares of mainly semi-permanent and permanent grassland and approximately 40 hectares of winter wheat and oats to feed stock. The Mitchells recognise that healthy, fertile soil is vital in order to maximise yields.
At the meeting this month Mark Hodkinson from Soils4Life, will lead an infield session looking at the soil makeup at Whitriggs.
Mr Hodkinson, a soil agronomist from Nottingham, will highlight what the attendees should look for in their own soil as well as commenting on the structure and fertility of the soils at Whitriggs. He will also look at the requirements of soil for scenarios of cropping, grass and intensive paddock grazing.
The Mitchells have 140 suckler cows which are a combination of Beef Shorthorn cross and Aberdeen-Angus cross. One of the aims at Whitriggs is to increase cattle numbers and, alongside that, the output of the farm. At the meeting next week, the Mitchells will lead a discussion about the carrying capacity of the farm and look at potential opportunities to increase output.
The family is constantly looking for ways to improve the performance of their suckler herd and their 1,000 strong Lleyn flock and at the meeting the Mitchells will share the costs of production for both the beef and sheep enterprises, for the group to comment on.
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 9 August will start at Whitriggs Farm, Denholm, TD9 8QR at 10am. There will be a BBQ lunch with Scotch Beef burgers and the meeting is expected to finish by 2.30pm. All are welcome and the event is free.
For catering purposes, those interested in coming along on 9 August should confirm attendance with Stephen Young, one of the project facilitators, on 07502 339613 or email stephen.young@saos.coop.
The next meeting of the Sutherland Monitor Farm on Friday July 28th will focus on maximising lamb profitability and consider the outlook for the lamb trade and the need to meet market specification.
Farmers and crofters are invited to the free meeting at Clynelish Farm, Brora (run by Jason and Victoria Ballantyne) which starts at 2pm, with coffee/registration from 1.30pm.
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 Ballantynes currently run 900 breeding ewes, of which about half are Lairg type Cheviots and the other half are Lleyn crosses.
Stuart Ashworth, Head of Economics Services with QMS, will be speaking at the event when he will take a close look at the outlook for the sheep market.
Mr Ashworth will focus on carcass weights, meeting market specification and the wider challenges and opportunities facing rural communities. He will also look at the unique selling points of the Scotch Lamb PGI brand and the opportunities to promote the brand.
“We will also be taking a close look at the Clynelish lambs and data ahead of the forth-coming sales,” said Cat MacGregor of SAC Thurso, one of the joint facilitators of the project.
She added: “This will include a breakout session, where the attendees will be split into groups to assess pens of lambs and discuss the potential marketing options for them.”
The Ballantynes also run 80 suckler cows, which are a mainly Simmental cross native breeds. Calves are born outside in May, weaned in November at five or six months old and sold as stores at Thainstone at 10 months old.
Stranraer farmer Robert Parker, whose farm Drumdow is the current AgriScot Scotch Beef Farm of the Year, will also be speaking at the meeting and will outline the work he has done to drive his beef enterprise forward and share his experiences and views on the future.
The event will round-off with a spit roast of Scotch Lamb for those who attend.
To book your attendance at the meeting at Clynelish on Friday July 28th please contact Willie Budge or Cat MacGregor, the project facilitators at SAC Consulting Thurso on 01847 892602 or email FBSThurso@sac.co.uk
A close look at the opportunities to improve sheep enterprise profitability will be on the cards at the next meeting of the Nithsdale Monitor Farm at Clonhie on Thursday July 27th.
The meeting, which is free to attend and starts at 1.45pm, will examine the gross margin figures (£/head and £/ha) at Clonhie. These will be compared with the QMS Enterprise Costings figures and targets for the future will also be set.
Iain Macdonald, Senior Economics Analyst with Quality Meat Scotland, will give an overview of the sheep market and the outlook for trade as well as leading a discussion on the future opportunities and challenges for the industry.
And Dewi Jones from Innovis will take a look at where the opportunities for sheep farmers going forward may be. He will consider what composite/New Zealand breeds have to offer in terms of performance compared with traditional breed types, along with the science and selection behind the concept.
Host farmer Andrew Marchant will also give an update on areas including lambs sold, over-seeding, silage and bulling and how the grass is performing on the farm. There will also be an opportunity to view the kale crop and to see the ewes and lambs and cows running with the bull.
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 and the Clonhie meeting will round-off at 4.30pm with a BBQ.
To book your place please contact Judith Hutchison, by 12 noon on Tuesday 25th July on 07718 919055 or email judith.agridigm@icloud.com .
Planning ahead will be the key theme at the coming Angus Monitor Farm meeting on Thursday 20 July held at Mill of Inverarity farm in Forfar.
The mixed unit is run by the Stodart family with a 200 hectare arable enterprise, as well as 200 suckler cows, 500 breeding ewes and 300 bought in store lambs.
Discussion on the day will include winter crops, under sowing barley with grass, pre tupping management and housing cattle, with the group assessing how best to approach those areas at Mill of Inverarity.
Monitor Farmer Rory Stodart explains: “For me this is really the start of a new farming year, it’s the ideal time to look forward and form a tailored plan for our arable and livestock enterprises over winter.
“At the meeting we’ll share how we normally manage our systems and we’re keen to hear how and why other farmers in the area might do things differently. All the day’s discussions will feed into how we manage the farm this coming season.”
On the arable side Sam Ruddell of Agrii will outline the Stodart’s current approach to winter crops, which include winter wheat and winter oilseed rape, and the group will discuss whether the farm is best suited to a high or low input system.
The group will also look over the farm’s current trial of under sowing barley with grass which aims to produce good grass growth for sheep over winter, without reducing the yield of the spring barley. The family has experimented with five different grass varieties, all sown at different seed rates, and the group will consider which has been the most effective.
Independent sheep expert John Vipond will be on hand to take the group through pre tupping management, with a practical exercise on condition scoring, and then a discussion on grazing management, preparing rams and optimum ewe-ram ratios.
Vet Tim Geraghty will tackle key winter issues of cattle health and pneumonia, while SAC Consulting’s Karen Stewart will take on the topic of preparing cattle for housing focusing on nutrition, creep feeding and weaning.
She says: “I’d really like to get the group thinking about grass quality, as often the quality can deteriorate earlier than farmers realise, and so it may be beneficial to start feeding them outside in some areas to ensure their weight gain remains on track.”
As with the arable areas, the group will discuss the Stodarts’ current practice and work with the family to develop a plan for cattle care over the winter.
Mill of Inverarity is now part of the Monitor Farm Scotland initiative, managed by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds.
The aim of the programme, which is funded by the Scottish Government, is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses through practical demonstrations, the sharing of best practice and the discussion of up-to-date issues.
The meeting will be held at Mill of Inverarity Farm, Forfar, Angus, DD8 2JN from 10am to 2.30pm, with lunch will provided on farm.
The event is free to attend but to assist with catering attendees should book a place by contacting Stacey Hamilton by phone (01569 762305) or email (stacey.hamilton@sac.co.uk).
The upcoming Lothians Monitor Farm meeting on Wednesday 19 July will see soil expert Mark Hodkinson digging into the challenges of soil health.
Both Bill Gray, farm manager at Prestonhall Farms and Peter Eccles, farm manager at Saughland Farm, are both keen to improve the health and structure of their soils over the course of the Monitor Farm Scotland project.
With 660 hectares of cereals and oilseeds at Prestonhall Bill Gray is most interested in the nutrient status of the soil, as well as assessing compaction.
He says: “Soil is the most important resource we have on farm and we need to make the most of it. As our arable land is cultivated regularly we need to identify if and where we are creating compaction, which will of course impact negatively on the crop’s root structure. I’d also like to have a closer look at our nutrient levels, not just the traditional pH, P and K and Mg but other nutrients such as calcium which have an effect on soil workability.”
Peter Eccles at Saughland, having recently purchased an additional 500 Romney ewes with easy care lambs, is focused on ensuring his soil is capable of producing enough grass to feed his 2,250 strong flock.
He says: “Livestock health and performance is intricately linked to the health of the land they live on so we must have a better understanding of what is going on within our soils. Similarly, as we are increasing our stocking rate we need to ensure we have enough grass to go round, and that begins with getting soil health right.
“We have previously taken a fairly traditional approach to soil management, sampling every five or six years, but can we go another step further? Replacing offtakes of P and K following cuts of hay and silage is vital to ensure we don’t deplete nutrients as we increasingly look to clovers in the sward to fix nitrogen for us.”
Soil samples from both farms will be analysed before the event, with results shared on the day. Attendees will be able to view the soils for themselves and discuss a wide range of topics with Mark including nutrient status, soil structure and fertility.
There will also be a range of other discussions on the day. For the livestock farmers present Peter will be looking for advice on land carrying capacity, forage budgets and wintering plans, while Bill will be canvassing arable growers on grain storage options, as he is keen to have new system in place for next year’s harvest.
Cover crops will be a focus for both groups as it is a key part of the initial collaboration work between Prestonhall and Saughland. The group will discuss options for a cover crop which can go in at Prestonhall, and then be used to feed Saughland’s sheep over the winter months.
The Lothians Monitor Farm is one of nine Monitor Farms recently established across Scotland in a joint initiative by AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds and Quality Meat Scotland (QMS). The aim of the programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The Lothians Monitor Farm meeting will begin with tea and coffee at 9.30am on Wednesday 19 July at Saughland Farm, Pathhead, Midlothian, EH37 5XP. The meeting will finish at 2.30pm. The event is free of charge but to assist with catering it would be appreciated if you can book a place by contacting Colin MacPhail on 07747 046461 or at colin@macphailconsulting.co.uk.
The malting potential of new barley varieties will be a key theme for the coming Morayshire Monitor Farm meeting on Tuesday 11 July at Corskie Farm. There will also be discussions on cattle creep feeding and weaning, biostimulants and grain markets.
Monitor Farmer Iain Green and his team farm 1,416 hectares of cereals, sheep, cattle and pigs. The majority of the arable lands goes for spring barley for distilling, although they also grow winter barley, winter wheat and spring oats. On the livestock side they have 380 commercial Simmental crosses, 200 pedigree Simmentals, 600 Mule and Mule cross Texel sheep, and an indoor breeding herd of 380 sows.
The group will take a walk through Corskie’s winter and spring barley trials and for Iain, the chance of discovering potentially high yielding new varieties is very exciting.
He says: “The farm is trialling some of the very newest varieties on the market, like Dioptic which is currently under trial for distilling and Laureate, which is high yielding and was recently approved for distilling, as well as some of the usual suspects such as Concerto.
“We will have a good look at how the various varieties are performing, the winter barley should be especially interesting as the grain will be filling out, and for the spring we should be able to assess the young heads and flag leaves. I want to see good healthy plants, brimming with potential.”
Hugh Thomson, a farmer and vet who also sits on Corskie’s Management Team, will cover cattle creep feeding, looking at whether it is beneficial to production and less stressful for the calf.
Iain says: “At Corskie we currently creep feed using home grown cereals and ready mixed creep feed, but there are other options, different types of feed, and it will also be useful to know whether the practice is good value for money.”
Hugh will also discuss weaning and mastitis control, giving guidance on best practice, as well as asking the community group to share their experiences.
Gavin Will from GrainCo will outline how things are looking on the local and global grain markets as well as advising attendees on getting the best out of grain contracts.
The group also will get the chance to look more closely at barley plants dug up from the ongoing Alltech biostimulants trial. These products should stimulate plant growth and so the group will expect to see better root growth on the treated plants compared to those untreated.
Corskie Farm is one of nine recently selected to host the three year Monitor Farm Scotland programme, a joint initiative between Quality Meat Scotland and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds and funded by the Scottish Government.
The Monitor Farm meeting will take place on Corskie Farm, Garmouth, IV32 7NN, on Tuesday 11 July from 1.30pm until 5pm, with all welcome to stay on for a BBQ at the close of the meeting. 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 ).
Making the most from grass will be the main topic for discussion at the next meeting of the North Ayrshire Monitor farm on Thursday 6 July.
John Howie runs the 140-hectare Girtridge Farm in partnership with his mother Margaret and sister Mary. They also own an extra 35 hectares of grazing nearby. Mr Howie is keen to make the most of the grass at Girtridge and to finish as many of the farms 200 store cattle off grass as he can.
He said: “We have heard of other farmers who have managed to reduce their feed costs and finish their stock quicker by improving their grazing, so are keen to see how we can improve things here at Girtridge.”
Local farmer and chairman of the management group at Girtridge, Craig Bryson, will chair the meeting and explain how he has managed to reduce his feed costs for his 300-head finishing unit at Newmilns by improving silage quality.
At the meeting, farmer, Nuffield scholar and self-confessed ‘grass geek’ Michael Blanche will talk about the importance of soil quality in grassland management, describe some of the different grazing techniques and describe how they can be established on farm.
“The better you can use a pasture, the more you can make from it. Grazing fields at the right time, at the right height, with the right amount of stock, is the key to making the most from grass,” said Mr Blanche.
As well as the 200 bought-in cattle that they finish, the Howies run their own small suckler herd as well as 140 breeding ewes. At the meeting Mr Howie will give an update on what has been happening at the farm since the last meeting in May.
One of the things that has been established at Girtridge this year is paddock grazing for the cattle. The Howie’s have established eight, two hectare paddocks using electric fencing. They then move a group of 79 finishing cattle to a fresh paddock every few days, aiming for a target rotation of 21 days. The benefits of managing grassland in this way will be discussed at the next meeting and there will be a tour of the fields so that those who attend will be able to see the paddock grazing in action.
The impact of Girtridge’s farming activities on the climate will also be highlighted and the results of their recently undertaken carbon audit shared. Facilitator Carol-Anne Warnock will then lead a discussion to explore how the Howies can reduce the farm’s carbon footprint resulting in both environmental and financial benefits.
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.
Girtridge Farm will be hosting regular meetings over the next three years as the North Ayrshire Monitor Farm. The focus will be on the technical and financial challenges that their business, and many other farming businesses in the area, face.
The next North Ayrshire Monitor Farm meeting will begin at 10.30am on Thursday 6 July and will be held at Girtridge Farm, Dundonald, KA2 9BX. Lunch will be included and the meeting is due to end at 3pm.
To book your lunch and confirm your attendance please contact facilitators Raymond Crerar and Carol-Anne Warnock, SAC Consulting Ayr on 01292 525252, or email FBSAyr@sac.co.uk
Opportunities to improve livestock performance and reduce costs will be the focus of the next Borders monitor farm meeting on Wednesday 28 June.
Robert and Lesley Mitchell, along with son Stuart, farm at Whitriggs near Denholm. The family is constantly looking for ways to improve the performance of their suckler herd and their Lleyn flock. However, they are aware that everything they do must be cost effective.
The Mitchells have 140 suckler cows which are a combination of Beef Shorthorn cross and Aberdeen Angus cross. At the meeting next week, the family, along with Catherine Gayle from Hawick vets, will lead a discussion on fertility and synchronisation.
“We have a spring calving herd and are keen to tighten up our calving period if we can. We think there is a potential benefit in synchronising our cows, especially our heifers, to ensure that they get into calf quickly and are looking forward to hearing what other local farmers think,” said Robert Mitchell.
The Mitchells also run 1,000 Lleyn ewes and have routinely bolused their lambs each year with a trace element and mineral supplement.
At the meeting next week, Lesley Mitchell will give an update on the farms activities since their last meeting. The family will then introduce a trial that is running at Whitriggs this summer to look at options for mineral trace element supplementation.
The farm is splitting some of this year’s lambs into three groups – one group will receive a mineral and trace element bolus, another group will receive a mineral and trace element injection and the third group won’t receive any supplementation. The weights of the three groups will be monitored throughout the summer to see there is any different in growth rates between the groups. Alongside this, faecal egg counts will be taken to monitor worm burden.
Stuart Mitchell commented: “Our aim at Whitriggs is for our lambs to finish quickly off grass, at minimal cost. We believe that giving lambs a bolus boosts their growth rates and helps them reach their finished weight quicker. However, this trial will allow us to properly assess the extent of any boost in financial returns as a result of using the boluses.”
Whitriggs has 442 hectares of mainly semi-permanent and permanent grassland. At the last meeting in May, the community group discussed ways in which the Mitchell family could improve their grassland management. They have since established eight hectares of paddock grazing for their cattle and will share their initial thoughts on the system with the group at the meeting.
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 and is being funded by £1.25million secured from the Scottish Government and European Union’s Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund.
The aim of the programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses through practical demonstrations, the sharing of best practice and the discussion of up-to-date issues.
A management group of local farmers and others involved in agriculture has now been established to work with the community group and facilitators to drive the project over the next three years.
The meeting on 28 June will start at Whitriggs Farm, Denholm, TD9 8QR at 10am. Scotch Beef burgers will be on the lunch menu and the meeting is expected to finish by 2.30pm. All are welcome and the event is free.
For catering purposes, those interested in coming along on 28 June should contact Stephen Young, one of the project facilitators, on 07502 339613 or email stephen.young@saos.coop.
The opportunity to improve suckler herd margins on the west coast of Scotland will be the focus of the next meeting of the Lochaber Monitor Farm on June 29th.
Strone Farm, a 1,200-hectare hill farm located in the Great Glen, one of Scotland’s most scenic locations, is run by Chris Cameron in partnership with his father Malcolm and mother Eileen.
At the meeting, which will begin at 11am and includes lunch, the profitability of west coast suckler systems will be carefully considered.
The merits of two different systems used in the area will be considered – high input and output compared with low input and output.
The strengths and weaknesses of the different systems, including in-wintering versus out-wintering, will be considered along with what aspects of each system work best in terms of financial return.
Another objective of the meeting will be to identify a realistic set of key performance indicators for west coast suckler herds, which will be a useful tool for the monitor farm community group going forward.
The meeting will also involve a close look at the cattle system in place at Strone. “The initial part of the meeting will involve attendees being out on the farm, looking at the cattle and being given a detailed update on the current cattle policy and management system at Strone,” said Paolo Berardelli, Chairman of the Monitor Farm Management Group.
“We will then return carry out a comparison of the system with other farms in the local area. This will be done by management group members explaining their farming policies.”
Among the aspects of the Strone cattle enterprise which will be considered are: calving policy; wintering policy and marketing policy.
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 meetings are open and free for all farmers to attend. Attendees will also have an input into topics covered, speakers invited to meetings and visits to other enterprises and businesses.
To book your attendance (and lunch!) please contact Niall Campbell or Morven MacArthur on 01631 563093 or email fbsoban@sac.co.uk.
The potential to improve grass management and optimise lamb growth rates will be the main points of discussion at the next Shetland Monitor Farm meeting on Saturday 17 June.
At the meeting, which starts at Bigton Hall at 11am, host farmers Kirsty and Aimee Budge from Bigton farm will give an update on their activities since April, including a report on their lambing and calving this year.
Bigton has also, for the first time, introduced rotational grazing for their 70 spring suckler cows and have divided a 4.8 hectare field into four paddocks using electric fencing. The benefits of managing grassland in this way will be discussed at the next meeting and those who attend will be able to see the paddock grazing in action.
Options to improve lamb growth rates will also be discussed at the meeting. For the first time this year feed blocks with a high level of digestible undegradable protein (DUP), have been placed on St Ninian’s Isle, where the ewes and lambs graze throughout the summer. It is hoped that the additional supply of protein, which is not degraded as it passes through their rumen, will help boost milk production in the ewes, and subsequent lamb growth.
While the ewes on the Isle have access to the blocks, a second group of ewes and lambs have been moved to similar grazing on the family’s other farm, Toab, and will not have access to these blocks. The weights of the lambs from both groups of ewes will be recorded regularly throughout the summer to see if the there is a difference in the lambs’ growth rates.
The Budges are keen to try and improve the control of weeds on their grassland and barley at Bigton and at the meeting the group will be joined by Colin Bowers from Dow Agrosciences Ltd who will explain the various weed control options.
Those who attend will have an opportunity to put forward their ideas about the monitor farm’s future weed control, silage and rotational grazing plans.
The Shetland Monitor Farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established around Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds, with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
Bigton farm will be hosting regular meetings over the next three years and focus on the technical and financial challenges faced by their business, and many other local farmers and crofters in Shetland.
The Shetland Monitor Farm meetings are open and free for all farmers and crofters to attend. Attendees will also have an input into topics covered, 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 Monday 12 June, or email frbslerwick@sac.co.uk