Loch Leven's Larder is an enterprise combination of a farm shop that is supplied by its own home farm. Since 2005, the larder has put community and sustainability at the forefront of its operations, to provide the Loch Leven area a place to enjoy locally soured healthy food in a relaxed atmosphere with views of the land that produced their food, an…

Mary-Jane Lawrie is joined by Fred Swift from South Clunes Farm and Highland Clip, and Stella Stewart from Anta. Fred Swift farms South Clunes Farm near Inverness in the Highlands with his wife Sofi and his father. They run a traditional upland farm with cattle and sheep. Fred and his family have transformed the farm over the last 40 years, increas…

Thrill of the Hill returns for season 5, with an exciting line-up on new and returning guest speakers and specialists in their fields and on their hills. Life as a cow is difficult and complicated, on the one hand there is a general acceptance that their non-selective grazing, trampling and dunging can contribute to diverse grassland swards, ideal …

In this episode Tiffany Stephenson is joined by Dr Steve Hoad, team leader in agronomy, physiology & genetics at SRUC, to provide an update on how winter cereal varieties have been performing during the 2024 variety trials, along with his top variety picks. Welcome to Cropcast, your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops. Each…

Welcome back to the Rural Round-up. This show is produced in association with the Scottish Government. On today’s episode I’m joined by George Chalmers, Robert Ramsay & Osla Jamwal-Fraser to talk about agritourism, opportunities to diversify and the added value opportunities for Scottish Agriculture. FAS Resources Alternative Enterprises | Helping …

Welcome to the August episode of In Conversation With… hosted this month by Principal Consultant Mark Bowsher-Gibbs. On today’s episode Mark is joined by Julian Bell (Principal Consultant with Agrecalc) and James Bolesworth (Managing Director at CRM Commodities). They discuss global grain supply, demand and market influences and look at how prices …

Along with our regular monthly updates on policy briefs, arable, beef, sheep and milk, In this edition we are also bringing you sector overviews on reducing enteric methane and diversification on a shoestring. We will also be bringing you news on dairy heifers and auction marts. Show Notes 00:45 News in Brief 03:15 Policy Briefs - Crofting Law Cons…

Welcome to In Conversation With… hosted this month by Senior Sheep and Beef Consultant Kirsten Williams. On today’s episode Kirsten is joined by Fiona Crowden (SRUC Veterinary Investigation Officer) and Ann McLaren (SRUC Research Associate). They discuss worm trends and how they are changing, the effect to the sheep industry, how targeted selective…

This episode hears from 2 crofters with two different routes into crofting. In this episode we discuss how they gained their croft, what they found were barriers, and hints and tips for aspiring or new crofters. I’m delighted to be joined by Derek Dick, who is a relatively new crofter in Berneray, and Angus Ferguson, who is an experienced crofter i…

In this podcast we hear from Andrew Marchant. He started on his tenanted farm, Clonhie Farm, with 12 ewes and worked off-farm in order to maximise income for the farm in the initial years to allow him to purchase stock and build up numbers on the farm quicker. As well as building up stock numbers he explored different enterprises, now having a herd…

Soil is a perennial topic, something that needs to be discussed on a recurring basis, and last time we did so was with Dr Bill Crooks some years ago now. In this episode, we hear from agricultural consultant and soil management enthusiast Lorna Galloway and talk all manner of things, from improving the uplands, raising soil pH, integrating clover, …

Mary-Jane Lawrie visits Whitriggs Farm in the Scottish Borders to speak to Lesley Mitchell. They chat about the family farm and how it has evolved over the years, their openness to challenges and change, and how that has allowed Lesley and her family to build a business that supports the family whilst also allowing a good work life balance. Once ke…

In this episode Tiffany Stephenson is joined by Professor Fiona Burnett, an applied plant pathologist at SRUC to discuss the performance of fungicides during the challenging growing season, that has been 2024. Cropcast is your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops. Each month, SAC advisor, Tiffany Stephenson will be joined by…

Welcome back to the Rural Round-up hosted by me, Kerry Hammond. This show is produced in association with the Scottish Government. On today’s episode I’m joined by George Chalmers & Tiffany Stephenson to talk about The Whole Farm Plan, and what it means for farmers, crofters & smallholders. FAS Resources Preparing For The Future | Helping farmers i…

Along with our regular monthly updates on policy briefs, arable, beef, sheep and milk, In this edition we are also bringing you sector overviews on local food supply chains and whole farm plans. We will also be bringing you news on artificial Intelligence and the Bluetongue virus. 0:40 News in Brief 2:44 Policy Briefs - Ag Bill, Natural Capital Mar…

Forth Rivers Trust leads the Leven LENs, a collaborative project that aims to match investors with local activities and projects, that preserve and enhance the Leven catchment’s natural assets. This strategy for long-term investment will deliver a healthy productive landscape, while benefitting the environment, boosting biodiversity and uplifting l…

In this episode we look at what we can learn from the Irish system, where farms are similar to our crofts. A group of crofters are just home from a study tour to Ireland, and we hear from Derek Jamieson who crofts in Unst, Shetland, what he took from this exchange of knowledge. We also hear from Keith Fahy, advisor with Teagasc, explaining the Iris…

In this podcast we hear from David Kerr, ScotEID’s Technical Manager. He speaks about cattle EID tags and their importance in the future for traceability for food safety and disease control. David tells us about the technology and the differences between Ultra High Frequency (UHF) tags which will be used for cattle tags, and Low Frequency (LF) tags…

Welcome to the third episode of In Conversation With… hosted this month by Principal Consultant Mark Bowsher-Gibbs. On today’s episode Mark is joined by John Stirling (Director at Arbikie Distilling Limited). They discuss how John draws on different strengths within the family business to sustainably produce a premium brand spirit, controlling the …

THRILL OF THE HILL | A Damming Conclusion: Part II with Davy McCracken Thrill of the Hill returns for season 5, with an exciting line-up on new and returning guest speakers and specialists in their fields and on their hills. Beavers and their presence in Scotland continues to divide the agricultural community, for some they generate hope for a more…

Welcome back to the Rural Roundup hosted by me, Kerry Hammond. This show is produced in association with the Scottish Government. On today’s episode I’m joined by George Chalmers & Tiffany Stephenson who chat about the census, thinking about silage and the ECS organics deadline, and I’m later joined by Eleanor Kay from Scottish Land & Estates who t…

In this episode Tiffany Stephenson is joined by David Brown, an Environmental Consultant at SAC Consulting to discuss pollinators, beneficial insects and biodiversity on arable farms. Cropcast is your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops. Each month, SAC advisor, Tiffany Stephenson will be joined by a range of industry exper…

I'm Mary-Jane Lawrie, and in this episode I’m joined Claire Taylor. Claire is a journalist and describes herself as an agricultural communicator. She has recently finished her travels as part of her Nuffield Farming Scholarship and is now in the process of compiling all the information from her travels. We talk about her career and how that led her…

Along with our regular monthly updates on policy briefs, arable, beef, sheep and milk, In this edition we are also bringing you sector overviews on new tiers for agriculture support and carbon calculators. We will also be bringing you news on forage first sucklers and land registration in Scotland. Show Notes 0:43 News in Brief 2:47 Policy Briefs -…

Gary Campbell is our guest this week. Gary is the new Chief Executive of the Crofting Commission, having just started his role in January this year. With a background working in both the public and private sectors he talks us through his previous roles, his own family crofting story, what he is planning to achieve in his new CE role and his vision …

In this podcast we hear from James Biggar who has drastically changed his farming system in recent years. His main aim is to reduce the cost of production with his beef herd which includes the use of forage crops and deferred grazing with bales to outwinter cows. 120 of his cows are kept outside 365 days a year. James talks about the importance of …

THRILL OF THE HILL | Farm Business Survey: Part II with Sascha Grierson Thrill of the Hill returns for season 5, with an exciting line-up on new and returning guest speakers and specialists in their fields and on their hills. With change on the horizon, being on sure footing can be the difference between having a successful business and not. The Fa…

It’s a brand-new series of Natural Capital with a brand-new host! To kick things off Harry speaks to Scottish Forestry’s Lyn White, who is their forestry and farming development officer. Lyn promotes an integrated approach to farming and forestry, to aid understanding and explore opportunities for them to work more effectively together. We discuss …

IPM (Integrated pest management) is set to become a key feature of the Scottish agricultural reform route map from 2025. In this episode Tiffany Stephenson is joined by Phil Jarvis & Amy Geddes from the voluntary initiative to discuss IPM. What is it and how do farmers go about getting started. Cropcast is your go to podcast for all the latest info…

Welcome to the second episode of In Conversation With… hosted this month by Senior Sheep and Beef Consultant Kirsten Williams. This show is produced in association with the Scottish Government. On today’s episode Kirsten is joined by Poppy Frater (Senior Consultant, SAC Consulting) and Kerr Adams (Research Scientist, The James Hutton Institute). Th…

Welcome back to the Rural Round-up hosted by me, Kerry Hammond. This show is produced in association with the Scottish Government. On today’s episode I’m joined by George Chalmers and Tiffany Stephenson who chat all things Carbon. Carbon Audits, emissions reductions and more. FAS Resources Carbon Audits | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory…

Along with our regular monthly updates on policy briefs, arable, beef, sheep and milk, In this edition we are also bringing you sector overviews on sector overviews on pigs and Scottish hemp production for fibre products. We will also be bringing you news on straw alternatives and managing winter forages. Show Notes 00:43 - News in Brief 02:45 Poli…

Mary-Jane Lawrie is joined by Jenn Stewart. Jenn Stewart, partner & Head of Rural and Landed Estates at Johnston Carmichael, joined the company in 2019. Jenn has extensive experience in advising owner managed businesses and provides counsel to a wide-ranging portfolio of clients across multiple sectors. Jenn was brought up in her own family farming…

Welcome to the first episode of In Conversation With… hosted this month by Principal Consultant Mark Bowsher-Gibbs. This show is produced in association with the Scottish Government. On today’s episode Mark is joined by Gary Catto (Head of Merchanting at Scotgrain Agriculture, part of Bairds Malt Ltd) and Robin Barron (General Manager at East of Sc…

Welcome back to the Rural Round-up hosted by me, Kerry Hammond. This show is produced in association with the Scottish Government. On today’s episode I’m joined by George Chalmers, Robert Ramsay and Tiffany Stephenson who discuss the recent bout of wet weather, and the implications of this on our agricultural businesses. We also talk about beef ent…

Along with our regular monthly updates on policy briefs, arable, beef, sheep and milk, In this edition we are also bringing you sector overviews on straw & muck and Scottish sheep meat. We will also be bringing you news on why you should invest in your vet and future proofing your retirement. Show Notes 00.45:- News in Brief 02.43:- Policy Briefs -…

THRILL OF THE HILL | An iconic Scottish species and of high conservation interest, the mountain hare has a lot going for it. Years of hard work to create the managed uplands we know have also contributed to the betterment of the species and a combination of predator control and careful heather management means that it has found a home in our hill e…

In this podcast we hear from SRUC Veterinary Investigation Officers Megan Fergusson and Tim Geraghty. They talk about the importance of good husbandry and top tips to save time and to prevent disease spreading at lambing and calving time. They also talk about health planning and how recording lamb and calf losses can help when reviewing these losse…

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is an approach that ensures habitats for wildlife are left in a measurably better state than they were before development. In England, BNG is mandatory; developers must demonstrate and deliver an increase in biodiversity following their development of 10%. In the last episode of this series, we hear from ecological consu…

In this episode Tiffany Stephenson is joined by Andy Cunningham, a Field Technical Manager at Syngenta to discuss Vixeran, a new biostimulant which is now available to growers in the UK. Cropcast is your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops. Each month, SAC advisor, Tiffany Stephenson will be joined by a range of industry ex…

In this episode Tiffany Stephenson is joined by Dr Neil Havis, a Senior Plant Pathologist at SRUC to discuss natural products with a focus on elicitors. Cropcast is your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops. Each month, SAC advisor, Tiffany Stephenson will be joined by a range of industry experts, bringing you timely updates…

Story Shack - https://www.marketingsharks.com/story-shack-review-otos-the-ultimate-build-a-book-bundle/ Story Shack – over 200+ stories with unrestricted PLR, a “Build-a-Book” bundle, advanced training, and assets to elevate your presence in these lucrative niches. BEYOND BEDTIME STORIES Gives you a great way of making money by selling educational …

TrafficWave Generator – https://www.marketingsharks.com/trafficwave-generator-review-otos-drive-endless-free-targeted-traffic-on-autopilot-across-all-niches/ TrafficWave Generator Review Bonus OTOs – Drive Endless FREE Targeted Traffic On Autopilot Across All Niches – One-Click Traffic & Content Creation Software When It Comes To Making Money Onlin…

Welcome back to the Rural Round-up hosted by me, Kerry Hammond. This show is produced in association with the Scottish Government. This episode is part of a spotlight mini-series titled Trees of the Gaelic World. This episode is all about Scot’s Pine and will explore the Gaelic language and lore surrounding the species with scholar Dr Mìcheal Newto…

Welcome back to the Rural Round-up hosted by me, Kerry Hammond. This show is produced in association with the Scottish Government. This episode is part of a spotlight mini-series titled Trees of the Gaelic World. This episode is all about Oak and will explore the Gaelic language and lore surrounding the species with scholar Dr Mìcheal Newton, and a…

Welcome back to the Rural Round-up hosted by me, Kerry Hammond. This show is produced in association with the Scottish Government. This episode is part of a spotlight mini-series titled Trees of the Gaelic World. This episode is all about Yew and will explore the Gaelic language and lore surrounding the species with scholar Dr Mìcheal Newton, and a…

Welcome back to the Rural Round-up hosted by me, Kerry Hammond. This show is produced in association with the Scottish Government. This episode is part of a spotlight mini-series titled Trees of the Gaelic World. This episode is all about Birch and will explore the Gaelic language and lore surrounding the species with scholar Dr Mìcheal Newton, and…

Welcome back to the Rural Round-up hosted by me, Kerry Hammond. This show is produced in association with the Scottish Government. George Chalmers and Tiffany Stephenson discuss, in detail, all the things we need to focus on for Spring, including the Single Application Form (IACS), the Agri-Environment Scheme (AECS), and advice pertinent to calving…