The enthusiasm of farmers to get involved in the new North Ayrshire Monitor Farm shone through at this week’s first meeting.
A great turnout of around 80 people were welcomed to Girtridge Farm, near Dundonald in Ayrshire, where host farmer 27-year-old John Howie laid out his hopes and aspirations for the project.
During the farm visit suggestions, questions and ideas flowed freely from the farmers who attended, setting very strong foundations for the project to deliver benefits for both the host family and the other farmers involved in the three years ahead.
Girtridge is one of nine new monitor farms being established in Scotland as part of a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds with funding from the Scottish Government.
The 140-hectare farm is run as a partnership involving John, his mother Margaret and his sister Mary. The farm sits in an elevated position just outside Dundonald, and the family also own a further 35 hectares of grazing land nearby.
The main farm enterprise is buying in around 200 store cattle each year and finishing them for sale direct to local abattoirs but the family also have a herd of 10 suckler cows. The potential to expand this small breeding herd (currently not giving the resident Limousin bull much work!) was one area which generated early discussion at the meeting.
The farm also runs 140 cross ewes producing Suffolk and Texel prime lambs that are mainly sold through nearby Ayr market. The opportunity to improve grassland management and increase ewe numbers and productivity was also contemplated. This year the ewes have scanned at 196%, with five empty.
Another key area which generated much interest was the layout of the steading which houses the cattle for finishing and the potential for much better handling facilities and a weigh crate. The ventilation in one of the two main cattle sheds also came under scrutiny, with some suggestions of potential improvements from farmers attending.
Everything grown on the unit is used on-farm, including 56 hectares of silage and hay and 28 hectares of spring barley. Facilitator Carol-Anne Warnock, of SAC Consulting, talked through the results of a whole farm soil analysis and base fertility review which proved very revealing and highlighted a number of areas for improvement, including the need for lime application to many fields.
John Howie said he was really looking forward to seeing his business improve its efficiency during the three year monitor farm project and to sharing what he learns along the way with other farmers and bench-marking his farm with others to identify areas for improvement.
“I’m not in favour of the ‘aye done’ approach – I like to be open to new ideas and I’m looking forward to hearing the thoughts of others about what we might look at doing differently,” he said.
Former Clyde monitor farmer Andrew Baillie gave an inspirational talk highlighting the many benefits his farm business had experienced following the changes made during his term as a monitor farmer.
Among his top tips for being an effective monitor farmer were the need to be open-minded and open to suggestions and a willingness to carry out trials. He added that it was important not to take criticism to heart and to ignore the “tyre-kickers.”
Facilitator Raymond Crerar said he was delighted with the level of support for the first meeting and how interactive the meeting had been – with plenty ideas and enthusiasm from the farmers attending.
And QMS Head of Industry Development, Doug Bell, added: “This is a really exciting time for the industry with, including the North East pig monitor Farm, ten new monitor farms set up in Scotland. This is very much a farmer-led initiative which will create a very powerful network of farmers sharing information. It is a fantastic opportunity and I would urge as many farmers as possible to get involved.”
Those interested in getting involved should contact the project facilitators, Raymond Crerar and Carol-Anne Warnock, SAC Consulting Ayr on 01292 525148, or email FBSAyr@sac.co.uk
The hosts of Sutherland’s new monitor farm, Jason Ballantyne and his wife Vic from Clynelish Farm, are busy preparing to welcome farmers and crofters to their first open meeting next week.
Clynelish Farm was recently announced as the Sutherland Monitor Farm and will be holding the first in a series of free meetings on Thursday 9 February. The meeting will start at Brora Scout Hall at 11am and after lunch the group will move to the farm for a tour, with the event finishing by 2.30pm. All are welcome and the event is free.
The Sutherland 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 three-year programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
Farmers and crofters who attend the meetings at Clynelish will be able to suggest possible changes to the business that may improve productivity and efficiency, and can also play an active role in selecting topics and speakers for future meetings to cover issues which are relevant to the region.
The 125-hectare farm is run by Jason and Vic, in partnership with Jason’s dad Murdo. They also contract farm 48 hectares nearby and rent a further 50 hectares of rough grazing.
The family runs 900 breeding ewes, of which about half are Lairg-type Cheviots and the other half Lleyn cross. They also have 80 suckler cows which are a mostly a mixture of Simmental cross native cows which are all outwintered.
Jason Ballantyne, who admits to being a little “grass obsessed”, has focused considerable attention on improvements to the grass and soil of the farm but feels there is still scope to further improve grass utilisation and increase overall outputs.
As well as being the new monitor farm for Sutherland, Clynelish is also an SRUC climate change focus farm. At the meeting on 9 February, Jason will give an overview of this project and highlight the changes the farm has made over the last three years to improve efficiency and reduce its carbon footprint.
Vic and Jason are excited about being involved in the new monitor farm programme and are looking forward to seeing how their farm, and other farms in Sutherland and the far North, will benefit from the initiative.
“It’s going to be great to have specialists coming to the area and sharing their knowledge and expertise on how to step up efficiency with us and other local farmers,” said Vic Ballantyne.
The first Sutherland Monitor Farm meeting will begin at 11am on Thursday 9 February at Brora Scout Hall (KW9 6PU).
At the event, Jason and Vic Ballanytne will give an overview of the farming system of Clynelish and representatives from QMS and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds will give an overview of the monitor farm programme.
Willie Budge from SAC Consulting, a division of SRUC, Scotland’s Rural College and one of the Sutherland Monitor Farm project facilitators, will detail how local farmers can benefit from being part of the three-year project and from the management and benchmarking groups that will be established.
After lunch, the group will relocate to Clynelish where Jason and Vic will give a brief tour of the farm and the group can look around the buildings and housed cattle. The meeting is due to finish at 2.30pm.
To book your lunch please contact facilitators Cat MacGregor or Willie Budge at SAC Thurso 01847 892602 or email fbsthurso@sac.co.uk.
The enthusiasm, honesty and willingness of the new Lochaber Monitor farm hosts to make changes to improve their business was welcomed by local farmers at an open meeting last week.
Strone Farm, near Fort William, is run by Chris Cameron in partnership with his parents Malcolm and Eileen. During the first meeting the family shared the details of their farm management and performance with over 50 farmers and representatives from the farming industry.
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 is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
Malcolm and Chris Cameron outlined how their cattle and sheep enterprises had evolved and highlighted the challenges they faced.
The farm’s 40 strong herd of Limousin cows are currently calved throughout the year and, due to weather and limited grass, are housed from mid-October to mid-May.
Heifers are generally calved at two-and-a-half years old with calves sold at Dingwall auction mart at around 10 months old, weighing around 375kg. The registered pedigree herd is in the Hi Health scheme and the Camerons have operated a closed herd (except for bulls) for 20 years.
The sheep side of the business sees 500North Country Cheviots which are either put to a Lleyn, Cheviot, Suffolk cross Beltex tup, depending on the ewe replacement strategy. A scanning percentage of 120% is achieved for the ewes and a lambing percentage of 95%.
The ewes lamb outside in April and, due to a serious predation issue, the ewes and lambs at foot are then moved to grazing land in Inverness over the summer. Lambs are sold at Dingwall auction mart as store at the end of August or kept for replacements.
All nine of the monitor farms in the programme, which is funded by the Scottish Government and European Union’s Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund, will conduct an environmental audit in order to explore opportunities for habitat improvement through environmental schemes.
Morven MacArthur from SAC Consulting Oban, one of the monitor farm facilitators, shared the results of Strone Farm’s recent environmental audit.
This showed that some of the land farmed by Strone, which already receives support through agri-environment and woodland schemes, provides a habitat for black grouse and several species of butterflies and plants, as well as some ancient woodland.
The audit also highlighted areas of environmental concern for the business which included the presence of bracken and rhododendron on some parts of the land, as well as the threat of a growing population of feral pigs.
Continuing in their spirit of openness and transparency, Chris and Malcolm Cameron opened their farm accounts at this first meeting and Niall Campbell, also from SAC Consulting Oban and a project facilitator for Strone, presented a breakdown of the businesses current income and expenditure. He highlighted that, although the farm was profitable, its high fixed costs were something the Camerons were keen to address.
“There is no doubt that things will change with regard to farm support payments and that there is a degree of uncertainty ahead for the industry. Farmers should, like the Camerons, prepare for change to safeguard their businesses for the future,” said Mr Campbell.
The gathering also considered the strengths and weaknesses of the current Lochaber monitor farm business as well as the future opportunities and threats for the farm.
“Dad and I believe that it is important that we should be completely open about both the management and the financial situation of our business from the start,” said Chris Cameron.
“We know there is plenty of scope for the farm business to benefit from fresh ideas which could improve our efficiency and that is why we were happy to become monitor farmers.”
He added: “We hope that other farmers will get involved and benefit from following not just what we will be doing over the next three years, but from the wider monitor farm programme too.”
The Lochaber Monitor Farm will be hosting a series of regular meetings over the next three years focusing on the technical and financial challenges that the business, and many other farming businesses in the area, face.
The next Lochaber monitor farm meeting will be held on Strone Farm on Thursday 9 March. If you are interested in attending the next meeting, or wish to join either the management group or business group that accompanies the monitor farm project, please contact Niall Campbell or Morven MacArthur on 01631 563093 or email fbsoban@sac.co.uk.
A huge turnout of around 100 people were welcomed to the lively first meeting of the new Nithsdale monitor farm.
Beef and sheep farmers Andrew and Aileen Marchant of Clonhie, Penpont, near Thornhill will be opening their gates regularly during the three years of the programme as one of nine monitor farms which have been set-up in Scotland.
The initiative, being run jointly by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds, aims to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The Marchants run 900 ewes and a small herd of 12 Luing cattle on their 300 hectares (750 acres) which lies between 450 and 950 feet above sea level.
Andrew Marchant sees huge potential benefit from getting involved in the project, both for his business and for the other farmers who get involved and share the benefits.
“One area we’re sure we could do better is our grazing management. We reckon with careful management our grass could increase our cow numbers to about 35 and, by introducing rotational grazing, we could significantly increase our flock size,” said Mr Marchant.
Among the speakers at the first meeting was independent sheep specialist Dr John Vipond who said the new monitor farm project, funded by the Scottish Government, had started at a crucial time for farmers.
“The clock is ticking. I reckon you have about two to three years to really look closely at your efficiency, bring your costs down and get your house in order,” Dr Vipond told farmers attending.
“The six most expensive words in farming are ‘we’ve always done it that way’. This project will give you a great chance to see the results of introducing changes which will give you the confidence to do the same,” he added.
One example where he said there was serious scope for improvement was worming regimes. “You wouldn’t treat a field for thistles without checking first that there are thistles there and yet hardly any of you are doing faecal egg counts before you worm your sheep,” Dr Vipond observed.
Former Forth monitor farmer Duncan McEwen gave an inspirational insight into how his Arnprior business had benefitted from being involved in the project.
“For us it was a fantastic opportunity which really gives you the confidence to make changes based on hard facts and figures. Our whole farm review revealed our fixed costs were killing us and there was significant scope for us to increase our output per hectare to help spread these costs.
“Our business was simply too complex and it made me face up to being an ‘iron addict’ and tackle my obsession with machinery and also our soil compaction problems. We are now in a much stronger position to move forward and cope with reduced farm support,” said Mr McEwen.
One key success story at Arnprior was the introduction of rotational grazing. “The switch to splitting fields into smaller paddocks and moving sheep on when our grass reaches a certain height has been hugely beneficial. We can achieve 25% to 30% more grass, decrease our fertiliser usage and increase our liveweight gain.”
The monitor farm experience also played a part in opening the McEwens’ minds to new opportunities. They now grow 3000 pumpkins offered on a pick-your-own basis to the public at Halloween and offer four days of paid for lambing experience to the public in spring.
They are also looking at the potential of installing some glamping pods on the farm, along with other ambitious diversification ideas.
If you would like to be involved in the Nithsdale monitor farm project you can find out more from facilitator Judith Hutchison on 07718 919055 or email judith.agridigm@icloud.com.
For more information about the monitor farm programme click here or visit www.cereals.ahdb.org.uk.
Two Lothians farming businesses are preparing to kick start their journey as joint hosts of a new monitor farm project.
Bill Gray, farm manager at Prestonhall Farms and Peter Eccles at Saughland Farm, both of Pathhead Midlothian, will hold the first of a series of meetings on Thursday 9 February.
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.
Bill Gray at Prestonhall Farms will provide the arable focus with 660 hectares of cereals and oilseeds on a five year rotation while the livestock will be covered by Peter Eccles at Saughland, where they have 1,900 breeding ewes and 55 suckler cows. The two neighbouring farms were once part of the same large estate and the hosts have similar philosophies which has allowed them to collaborate successfully while remaining separate businesses.
Over the next three years there will be eighteen meetings at Prestonhall and Saughhead where local farmers will be able to input into the future financial and technical management of the two businesses. There will also be the opportunity to investigate innovative new technologies in both the arable and livestock sectors.
Prestonhall Farms Manager Bill Gray, says: “I’m looking forward to getting a better handle on how we are currently performing, listening to the ideas of others in the community group and making changes to ensure we have a robust and sustainable business for the future. I believe that this is imperative given the challenges that the agriculture sector faces.”
Lothians Monitor Farm project facilitator, Colin MacPhail, hopes many local farmers will attend and get involved in the project. He said: “This new Monitor Farm programme is different as it approaches the farm as a whole business rather than focusing on separate enterprises. It will be very much driven by the desires of the farmers in the group, who should get as much out of the process as the hosts. The collaborative working relationship between Bill and Peter has already stirred significant interest in the project”.
The event will begin at Prestonhall with an outline of their arable enterprises before moving over to Saughland for an update on the livestock enterprises. Representatives from QMS and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds will also give an overview of the Monitor Farm programme and how local farmers can get involved.
Peter Eccles, Farm Manager at Saughland, says: “I want to ensure Saughland is moving in the right direction in creating a financially and environmentally sustainable business for the future. I am focused on analysing our performance to make better informed decisions. Working with Bill will allow us to develop our current collaboration into something more structured, drawing on each other’s experience and sharing resources efficiently”.
The first Lothians Monitor Farm meeting will begin with tea and coffee at 9.30am on Thursday 9 February at Rosemains Farm, Pathhead, EH37 5UQ (just off the B6367). 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.
Livestock farmer John Howie of Girtridge Farm, Dundonald is busy preparing to open his gates to the local farming community as part of a new Scotland wide-programme.
Girtridge Farm was recently announced as the North Ayrshire Monitor Farm and on Wednesday 1 February will be holding the first in a series of free meetings.
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 is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
Girtridge Farm will be hosting a series of 18 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 140-hectare farm sits in an elevated position just outside Dundonald, and the family also own a further 35 hectares of grazing land nearby.
The main farm enterprise is buying in store cattle and finishing them for sale direct to local abattoirs but the family also have a herd of 10 suckler cows. The farm also runs 140 cross ewes producing Suffolk and Texel prime lambs that are mainly sold through nearby Ayr market. Everything grown on the farm is used on-farm including 56 hectares of silage and hay and 28 hectares of spring barley.
The Howies feel fortunate that Girtridge is very versatile. This means they are not restricted to one type of farming policy and they are happy to consider a future change in direction as a result of the monitor farm process.
John Howie commented: “I am really looking forward to learning from other farmers and looking at what we could do at Girtridge to strengthen our business. I think it will be a huge learning curve, but one that I will benefit from, as well as the local farmers who get involved.”
Raymond Crerar from SAC Consulting, a division of SRUC, Scotland’s Rural College and one of North Ayrshire Monitor Farm project facilitators, encouraged other farmers in the area to get involved with the monitor farm programme.
He said: “The Monitor Farm Programme is an excellent opportunity for producers to ultimately improve the profitability of their business and not just that of the host farmers.”
He added: “Over the course of the three year programme we will look at in detail many different aspects of beef and sheep production, share expertise and best practise, innovation and new technologies through hands on learning. I encourage farmers to engage with the programme and come along to the meetings. “
The first North Ayrshire Monitor Farm meeting will begin at 10.30am on Wednesday 1 February and will be held at Girtridge, Dundonald, KA2 9BX, where John Howie will give a brief tour of the farm and share information about their farm business.
The meeting will then move to nearby Montgomerie Hall in Dundonald for lunch after which, after which, Andrew Baillie from Carstairs Mains near Lanark, will speak about his experiences as a past Clyde Monitor Farm host. He will be joined by Willie Harper, a farmer from Bridge of Weir and past chairman of the Clyde Monitor Farm management group, who will urge attendees to get involved in the management group for the monitor farm. This group are the driving force behind the monitor farm programme and help shape the direction of all future farm meetings.
Gavin Hill from SAC Consulting, a division of SRUC, Scotland’s Rural college will attend and give an industry outlook for beef and representatives from QMS and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds will give an overview of the monitor farm programme. The meeting will finish at 3pm.
To book your lunch please contact facilitators Raymond Crerar and Carol-Anne Warnock, SAC Consulting Ayr on 01292 525252, or email FBSAyr@sac.co.uk
For more information about the monitor farm programme visit www.qmscotland.co.uk or cereals.ahdb.org.uk.
The hosts of Shetland’s new monitor farm, Aimee and Kirsty Budge of Bigton Farm, are looking forward to welcoming farmers and crofters to their first meeting next month.
The pair are rising to the challenge of being part of the three-year monitor farm programme and keen to hear the ideas of others and share the benefits of the changes they introduce.
They are currently preparing for their first open meeting, which is being held on Saturday 4th February. The meeting will start at Bigton Hall at 11am and after lunch, the group will move to the farm for a tour, with the event finishing by 3pm. All are welcome and the event is free.
Bigton farm is one of nine new monitor farms established in Scotland as part of a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds. 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.
Farmers and crofters who attend the meetings at Bigton will be able to suggest changes that the farm can make to improve its efficiency and then monitor the results on the farm over the three-year period of the programme. The community group can also choose topics and speakers for future meetings and discuss issues that are local to Shetland.
Kirsty Budge is keen to start making improvements to Bigton, and there will be an opportunity to tour the farm at the first meeting.
“One of the issues we have is that although our scanning numbers are high, the number of actual lambs on the ground could be higher. This is just one of the areas we want to get help with early on,” she said.
“At the first meeting, we will go over our scanning and lambing figures, and it will be great to have the experience of Shetland farmers and crofters, our local vet and other industry experts to suggest changes to our management. The results will then be monitored over the three-year programme.”
Aimee Budge is also looking forward to the first meeting. She commented: “We are delighted that Duncan McEwen from Arnprior in Stirlingshire is coming up to talk about what happened during his time as the Forth Monitor Farmer, and the improvements he saw on his farm as a result.”
As well as Duncan McEwen, a representative from QMS and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds will give an overview of the new monitor farm programme and how local farmers can get involved. Derek Hanton from SAC Consulting in Inverness, who has facilitated previous monitor farms, will also highlight how local farmers and crofters can also benefit from the project.
For future Bigton meetings, there is plenty to consider. The farm covers 300 hectares, most which is permanent pasture and intensive grassland. It carries 240 ewes and 70 suckler cows, plus some barley is grown. The ewes are Shetland cross Cheviot, put to a Suffolk tup and lambs are either finished or sold as stores at Thainstone in December.
The spring calving sucklers are Salers cross Shorthorn, and are either put to a Charolais or Shorthorn bull, with the heifers being put to a Salers. Most of the store calves are sold at local markets at 12 months old with some finished to supply local butchers on the island.
The benefits for the monitor farm programme have been highlighted by lots of previous monitor farmers. The Budge sisters are confident that Bigton being the Shetland Monitor Farm will not only help them develop their business and learn more about how they can make it more profitable, but that other farmers and crofters on Shetland will benefit from the programme too.
For catering purposes, those interested in coming along to the launch should contact the project facilitator, Graham Fraser, SAC Consulting Lerwick on 01595 693520, or email frbslerwick@sac.co.uk by Wednesday 1 February.
For more information about the monitor farm programme visit www.qmscotland.co.uk or cereals.ahdb.org.uk.
Beef and sheep farmer Chris Cameron of Strone Farm, near Fort William is busy preparing to open his gates to the local farming community as part of a new Scotland wide-programme.
Strone Farm was recently announced as the Lochaber Monitor Farm and on Thursday 26th January will be holding the first in a series of free meetings.
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 is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
Strone Farm will be hosting a series of 18 meetings over the next three years as the Lochaber 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 1,200-hectare hill farm, located in the Great Glen, is run by Chris Cameron in partnership with his father Malcolm and mother Eileen. The family, who are tenants of Lochiel and Achnacarry Estate, runs 550 North Country Cheviot ewes and 40 pure Limousin cows.
They have already successfully introduced some changes, but they feel there is plenty of scope for the farm business to benefit further from fresh ideas which could improve the efficiency of the business.
Chris Cameron commented: “We are far from perfect and we know that there is plenty of scope to make improvements to our business through being part of the monitor farm project.
“We’re also really looking forward to sharing the benefits of having a monitor farm in Lochaber with other farmers in the area.”
Niall Campbell from SAC Consulting, a division of SRUC, Scotland’s Rural College and one of Lochaber Monitor Farm project facilitators, encouraged other farmers in the area to get involved with the monitor farm programme.
He said: “We are really excited to have a new monitor farm in Lochaber. Farmer-to-farmer learning, along with access to technical and expert speakers, has been proven to be the most successful way to share knowledge and best practice. This is a great opportunity, not just for Strone and farms locally, but for farmers everywhere to help improve business sustainability for the future.”
The first Lochaber Monitor Farm meeting will begin at 10.30am on Thursday 26th January and will be held at Strone Farm, Banavie, PH33 7PB, where Chris and Malcolm Cameron will give a brief tour of the farm and share information about their current sheep and cattle production.
The meeting will then move to nearby Moorings Hotel in Banavie, PH33 7LY for lunch after which, the group will hear about Strone’s grassland management and current finances. There will then be an opportunity for attendees to discuss the current strengths and weaknesses of Strone Farm and agree which aspects of the farm business should be developed in the short, medium and long term. Representatives from QMS and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds will also give an overview of the monitor farm programme and how local farmers can get involved. The meeting will finish at 3.30pm.
To book your lunch please contact Niall Campbell or Morven MacArthur, by 12 noon on Monday 23rd January, on 01631 563093 or email fbsoban@sac.co.uk.
For more information about the monitor farm programme visit www.qmscotland.co.uk or cereals.ahdb.org.uk.
Beef and sheep farmers Andrew and Aileen Marchant of Clonhie, Penpont, near Thornhill are looking forward to the launch of an exciting new chapter in their farming lives.
They were recently announced as the Nithsdale monitor farm and will be holding their first in a series of open meetings on their farm on Thursday 26th January.
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 is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
Clonhie will be hosting a series of 18 meetings over the next three years as the Nithsdale Monitor farm, which will focus on technical and financial challenges that their business, and many other local farming businesses, face.
The Marchants moved to Clonhie, which had been grass park let for some years, in 2012 as new entrants. They have since expanded their farming operation to 300 hectares (750 acres) and built their flock up to 900 ewes to the tup this season. With a small herd of 12 Luing cattle they also take on summer grazers and winter cattle in the sheds on the farm, which lies between 450 and 950 feet above sea level and is 1.2 miles up Marrburn Road from the picturesque village of Penpont.
Andrew Marchant is excited about the next three years. He commented: “Given the changing world farm businesses operate in it is going to be ever more important that we all learn and share the tricks of the trade.”
He added: “Improving our livestock production, soil and pasture management, financial performance and coping with other challenges our industry may face will be key to our long term survival.”
One of Nithsdale Monitor Farm project facilitators, Judith Hutchison, is keen to encourage local farmers to get involved. She said: “The most powerful learning for farmers comes from other farmers. Seeing things actually happen on farm, following the results of changes made throughout the three-year project and having the opportunity to discuss and learn from both successes and failures will be the crux of this project.”
The Nithsdale Monitor Farm 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.
The first Nithsdale Monitor Farm meeting will begin at 10.30am on Thursday 26th January and will be held at Clonhie, Penpont DG3 4NB, where the Marchants will give an overview of their farm business.
The meeting will then move to Durisdeer Village Hall DG3 5BQ for lunch after which, Duncan McEwen will speak about his experiences as a past Forth Monitor Farm host and John Vipond of SAVI will speak on nutrition for in lamb ewes. Representatives from QMS and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds will also give an overview of the monitor farm programme and how local farmers can get involved. The meeting will finish at 3.30pm.
To book your lunch please contact Judith Hutchison, by 12 noon on Monday 23rd January, on 07718 919055 or email judith.agridigm@icloud.com.
For more information about the monitor farm programme visit www.qmscotland.co.uk or cereals.ahdb.org.uk.