farmingscotland.com issue 86

Farming CountryIssue eighty-six • September 2012

£2.00

Be sure to pick up your October Issue ofFarming Country published by farmingscotland.com; at your localnewsagent, Co-op Store or at Tarff Valley,Dumfries. It will be packed with on farmfeatures, interviews, news and views fromacross Scotland and Northern England.

Eilidh MacPherson

3

Farming Country

EDITOR: Eilidh MacPherson Marbrack Farm, Carsphairn,Castle Douglas, DG7 3TE

Tel: 016444 60644Mobile: 07977897867

[email protected]

PUBLISHER - Eilidh MacPherson

ADVERTISING –Eilidh MacPherson – 016444 60644

Cover - Iain Brownlie & Gus, Scottish NationalSheep Dog Trial Winners – photo Rebecca Lee

Text and photography by Eilidh MacPhersonunless otherwise stated

Page 4 - Rebecca Lee

Page 8 - Laura Young

Page 14 - Top - Rebecca Lee

Page 15 -19 - QMS & bottom on p14

Page 22, 24 & 25 - Rebecca Lee (left)

Page 26 - New Holland

Page 29-30 - Contributors’ own

shaped off-spring. We were successful in our mission and camehome with a classy looking sire named‘Smirnoff.’ The Beltex lamb recordwas broken early on in the day – readabout it on page 6.

I have the usual mix of beef, sheepand dairy articles this month, with aMonitor Farm special – Meet theMonitor Farmers.

Fiona Turnbull has interviewedAndrew Gilchrist of ScottishAgronomy and agricultural contractorAllan Myles in the arable section.

There are interesting columns fromAround the Regions – John Sinclairand John Scott and the New Entrant,John Fyall as well as another columnby my Granny – Margaret HMacPherson – who wrote for the ‘TheScottish Farmer, Farming World andHousehold,’ sixty years ago.Amazingly farmers then seemed tohave many of the issues that affectfarmers today!

We have a photography competition on the inside back coverfor you to enter. Please e-mail yourentries as a jpeg or pdf to me at [email protected]. Therewill be good prizes for the top fourentries – I am still finalising them aswe go to press! Winning photos willbe printed in the next issue – so getsnapping. SHOW TIME is the topicthis time.

Welcome to the first issue ofthe magazine to grace thenewsagent and Co-op stores’

shelves. If you are reading thisthanks for buying the first issue and Ihope you enjoy it. Please feel free tocontact me by phone or e-mail withany feed back.

Time flies – I can hardly believethat it is nine years since Issue Onehit the press back in September 2003and was distributed ‘free for farmers’across Scotland and NorthernEngland.

Talking of time flying – this monthhas been no exception. Time seemedto be spent learning about barcodesand distribution teamed with endlessform filling, so the myriad of on farm features I had planned for the inaugural ‘paid for’ issue were put onhold.

Congratulations to Iain Brownlieand Boreland Gus, who are gracingthe cover this month, on their win atthe Scottish National Dog Trials. Areport and full results (for those whoaren’t up with the internet yet) are onthe first double spread.

Last week we headed to Carlisle tomy first pedigree Beltex sale to purchase another Beltex tup for crossing. We keep some ewe lambsfrom Blackfaces mated to a Texelcross Charolais tup and cover themwith the Beltex – which leave good

Farming CountryIssue eighty-six • September 2012

89

BeefMarketing

1 01 2

DairyMilk

1 51 9

Monitor FarmMeet the MonitorFarmers

47

SheepBeltex

3 43 5

Rural Round -UpPhotography Comp,Farm Names

3 3 New EntrantJohn Fyall

2 93 0

Around the RegionsHighland & Lothian

2 02 5

Arable

Scottish AgronomyContracting

2 62 7

MachineryNew Holland

1 4 Cutting Edge

Olympic BeefChilli Pipers

EDITORIAL

4

Ian Brownlie, who farms at Alloa,Clackmananshire teamed withBoreland Gus took out the

Scottish National Sheep Dog Trial atthe weekend.

The three day trial was held onThursday 16th - Saturday 18thAugust, 2012 at Kypehill Farm, nearStrathaven, Lanarkshire by kind permission of Mr & Mrs Alec Nimmo.

The weather held quite well withonly a few showers on the Friday withthe best days being Thursday andSaturday, where the sun was shiningat times.

The Scotch Mule gimmers, supplied by J. P. Campbell & Sons,Glenrath, proved quite a test on allthree days. They were released fromthe holding pens at the top of thefield and walked out around 30 yardsto the starting post. Most of the handlers sent their dogs on the righthand outrun, where the field wasslightly raised all the way up to thetop – about a 400 yard outrun. It was

a great field for viewing the trials.Over the three days 150

competitors and dogs from all overScotland competed for the 15 placeScottish team, which heads to theInternational in Cardiff in September.

Ian Brownlie’s Gus is 5 years and 2months old and bred by NeilMcVicar’s Spot and out of C Ennion’sJudy.

Ian sent Gus out to the right onthe outrun, which was good and liftedthe sheep well at the top of the field.Ian and Gus held a good line downthe fetch and through the gates, withonly a few slight line deviations. Gushad the sheep moving at a steadypace, which lead to a tight turn roundthe handler’s post.

On the first leg of the left handdrive the sheep held a good line withGus guiding them from a distance.They got the first drive gates and justafter the turn the sheep turned backtowards the gates causing a line deviation, but Ian and Gus worked

hard to get the sheep back on line andcontinued with a steady cross driveand straight through the second drivegates with a good tight turn and nicereturn to the shedding ring.

Ian and Gus had 6 minutes 24 seconds to take their first shed, whichwas to split 2 unmarked sheep fromthe 5. There was one try at the shedbut then man and dog made the splitand continued to the pen with 2 minutes 56 seconds to complete thenext element. The Alloa teamworked well at the pen and got thesheep into the pen with no breaks.The last element was to shed 1 collared sheep from the 5, which theydid with ease and finished with a totalscore of 196 out of 220.

Runner up was Mr Neil McEachernfrom Dunoon running Chloe. She ranout well to the left hand followed bya smooth lift. There was a slightsquiggle on approaching the fetchgates but Neil and Chloe guided thesheep safely through the gates. There

Farming Country – Issue eighty-six

Brownlie & Boreland Gus Grab Scottish National Title

The Scottish National Team for 2012 is as follows:

1st Mr Ian Brownlie, Alloa Boredale Gus 1962nd Mr Neil McEachern, Dunoon Chloe 1943rd Mr Bobby Dalziel, Ettrick Valley Selkirk Joe 1934th Mr John Casey, Argyll Ben 1925th Mr John MacKillop, Inverness Joe 1926th Mr Tony Welsh, Patna, Ayrshire Dave 1917th Mr Ewen MacKinnon, Rosshire Nan 1918th Mr Norman MacDonald, Kirkcudbrightshire Jake 1919th Mr Johnny Templeton, Ayrshire Ben 19010th Mr Ewen MacKinnon, Rosshire Gyp 19011th Mr Fraser Shennan, Ayrshire Fizz 18912th Mr Archie Aitchison, Peebleshire Coll 18613th Mr Mosse Magnusson, Perth Myllin Davey 18414th Mr Stuart Grant, Rosshire Kim 18315th Mr Michael Shearer, Thurso Jim 182Res: Mr Neil McVicar, Dunoon Podge 181

were slight line deviations on the firstleg of the drive but a good cross driveand a nice return back to the sheddingring with 6 minutes left to completethe hand work. Neil and Chole had agood first shed followed by a classicpen with no breaks and a good singleto finish with 3 minutes to spare.The total score was 194.

The Scottish Brace Championswere Miss Julie Hill from Heriot inMid Lothian running Mac and Ban.Mac ran out to the left hand andarrived a little before Ban. The liftwas well balanced and the fetch wellcontrolled, with good lines. The driving was equally good, with aslightly slow start to the cross driveand good lines. The sheep wereinclined to be cheeky at the open pen,and Mac split the sheep before penning them at the gated pen. Theyfinished on a total score of 247/280.

Ewen MacKinnon of Ross-shirerunning Nan and Roy came second inthe Brace with a score of 226.

SHEEP NATIONAL SHEEP DOG TRIAL

by Fiona McMillanpics by Rebecca Lee

5Farming Country – Issue eighty-six

Dog trial enthusiast Andrew Emmerson and hiswife Jennifer recently decided to run a dogtrial with all proceeds being donated to the

Multiple Sclerosis Charity. Jennifer was diagnosedwith MS a couple of years ago, so the charity is closeto home.

Andrew, originally from Skye and Jennifer startedtheir married life at Corsebank, Sanquhar and movedcross country to the Duns in the Scottish Borders inthe past year, where Andrew shepherds.

The trial is Open, “so anyone from anywhere canenter and gain points,” says Jennifer. “You can enterand pay before the event and we will also be takingentries on the day.”

“We only started organising last week and cannotbelieve the number of people and businesses whohave donated to the cause already. We have also setup a facebook page (as in the advert above) to helpraise awareness of the event.”

MS Charity DogTrial at Duns

DAY 1S46 M Priestley MOSS 157S45 C M Magnusson MYLLIN DAVEY 184S44 M Murray SPOT ABSS43 J K Allan BEN 171S42 Mrs P Grieve OZZIE RETS41 W Cormack ROCK 136S40 J A Common TADDYMOOR MIRK 176S39 J W Menzies BALEDMUND HOPE RETS38 N A MacDonald BILL 182S37 R B Henderson TIG 136S36 O V Brown JED 120S35 D Robertson SARN FAEN MOT 175S34 E C Mackinnon GYP 190S33 I M Brownlie BOREDALE GUS 196S32 Miss K J I Birkett TESSA ABSS31 A D Carnegie CHIP 176S30 G R Clark MAY RETS29 S L Davidson GEORGE 169S28 E A J MacLean ROY 171S27 J M Seton GLEN RETS26 R Dalziel SPOT 177S25 J A MacKillop JOE 192S24 M C Shearer JIM 182S23 F S Renwick QUEEN 155S22 S J Grant VICKY 154S21 N Campbell GUS 176S20 J W Common KATE 149S19 N McEachern ANN 162S18 D Wallace ROB 179S17 J B Ramsay RIB 158S16 J L McMillan LAMP 152S15 J A MacLeod BILL ABSS14 P Martin JESS (Lucy) 147S13 A Jardine CORRIEDHU SPOT 83S12 (155) C Dickson JACK RETS11 (153) S J McLay JIM 118S10 J J Templeton MBE BEN 190S9 K Howlett SWIFT 148S8 A R Mundell FLEET 127S7A K Donald GLEN 151S6 Miss J Hill BAN 171S5 Mrs V Billingham TWEEDHOPE GARRY109S4A J D Robinson CAP 155S3 D D Campbell TESS 153S2 (152) Mrs L J Magnusson NET 130S1 (151) D Smith CAP 83S3B BRACE P Martin MAID & JESS 219S2B BRACE E C Mackinnon NAN & ROY 226S1B H MacLean ROY & KIM 20

DAY 2S100 J C Maclachlan BILL RETS99 R Dalziel JOE 193S98 F W Shennan FIZZ 189S97 A Simpson LOOS RETS96 R MacDiarmid JIM RETS95 K Preston QUEEN RETS94 K W Brehmer FLOSS ABSS93 N McEachern CHLOE 194S92 J Casey BEN 192S91 A Watson JAKE RETS90 J S Hastie CAP RETS89 W Cormack JEN RETS88 O V Brown KILLIEBRAE SWEEP RETS87 R Ritchie ROSS ABSS86 J R Welsh TANHILL NAP 165S85 J M Seton ZAC RETS84 Miss J Hill MAC 175S83 Miss K J I Birkett TESS (Gift) ABSS82 M Murray JIM ABSS81 J K Allan TWEEDHOPE TRIM ABSS80 B Rendall JIM RETS79 J J Templeton SPOT RETS78 S Paton CRAIG RETS77 J A MacLeod GALE ABSS76 J D Robinson KIM RETS75 H T Johnstone SWEEP ABSS74 I Lockhart JOE RETS73 S L Davidson ROB RET

DAY 3S150 R Meikle ASTRA LYN RETS149 J F McRobert TAFF RETS148 E A J MacLean KIM RETS147 C M Davidson CAP RETS146 R A Welsh MICK RETS145 M C Shearer BOB RETS144 Mrs S Horn JOCK RETS143 C M Magnusson LLANFARIAN JIM 179S142 A A Aitchison COLL 186S141 J W Menzies BALEDMUND CHER RETS140 W S Elliot ROD RETS139 Mrs L J Magnusson MEL 133S138 N F McVicar PODGE 182S137 N A MacDonald JAKE 191S136 W A Morrison SKY RETS135 G Thompson RED DISS134 T Blacklock SWEEP RETS133 A MacDiarmid REX RETS132 J A Common SARN FAEN SION RETS131 H Munro SAL RETS130 A B Mundell VIC 164S129 J A MacKillop STRAID KEP RETS128 Mrs V Billingham TWEEDHOPE FI RETS127 J MacDonald DON RETS126 Miss J B Main ROY RETS125 I Wilkie NELL (Maid) RETS124 E C Mackinnon NAN 191S123 D Wallace JEN RETS122 W R J Tod PEG RETS121 J B Ramsay KILCREEN CAP RETS120 J L McMillan DON RETS119 M Priestley LOVAT RETS118 A R Mundell TAFF RETS117 S Montgomery CRAIG RETS116 G R Clark MACK RETS115 D D Campbell NELL RETS114 M MacNally FINN ABSS113 R B Henderson SKID RETS112 Dr K P Freeman BILL RETS111 D A MacIntyre TWIGG DISS104 C Dickson SCOT RETS103 A Emmerson MIDGE RETS110 D Robertson SWEEP (Shep) RETS109 C Stewart TAN RETS108 D Kinloch WATTIE RETS107 A MacCuish BRANDY (Moss) 175S106 C A Smart GUY RETS105 K Howlett FLY 147S102 K R Donald KILLIEBRAE NELL RETS101 A Jardine ELSIE RET

Moniaive Annual Sheepdog Trial

Crichen Farm Moniaive,

Thornhill DG3 4EQ on

16th September 2012 All Welcome

S72 M McTeir BOB 157S71 J W Ramsay GLEN RETS70 J Lamont CRAIG RETS69 A D Carnegie DAVE RETS68 F S Renwick ROCI RETS67 P Hetherington LIZ RETS66 L J Clark MIRK RETS65 Mrs M Caul ROSS RETS64 J W Common ROY RETS63 N Gillon BHOY 170S62 W I McConnell FLY RETS61 N Campbell CASS 163S60 P Martin MAID (Jenny) 131S59 W Welsh DON RETS58 L J Cunningham MIST RETS57 A G Kennedy MIRK RETS56 S J Grant KIM 183S55 S Alexander SCOTT RETS54 A Welsh DAVE 191S53 I M Brownlie MO RETS52 K Wood CRAIG RETS51 P D Fullerton DEAN RETS50 K Preston GILLY RET

CHARITY SHEEPDOG TRIALALL PROFITS TO THE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY

ON SAT 20TH OCTOBER 2012AT 'STOBSWOOD', LONGFORMACUS, DUNS, TD11 3NT

START TIME AND RUNNING ORDER WILL BE CONFIRMED AT A LATER DATE

CONTACT: ANDREW EMMERSON, SHEPHERD'S COTTAGE, STOBSWOOD FARM, LONGFORMACUS, DUNS,

BERWICKSHIRE, TD11 3NT01361 890 211 / 07776114513 or [email protected]

FIND MORE DETAILS ON FACEBOOK AT: www.facebook.com/MultipleSclerosisCharitySheepDogTrial

IT'S AN 'OPEN' TRIAL SO ANYONE CAN COME AND GET POINTS!

6

There was a buzz in Beltex circles at Harrison andHetherington, Carlisle as

Aberdeenshire fireman and BeltexBreeder, Stuart Wood took his turn inthe ring.

With a starting bid of 2000gns,Woodies Snoop Dog, quickly reachedthe 10 000gn mark, where it seemedto stick. With a quip that it wasinsured, bidding took off again, reaching a new Beltex breed recordfor a lamb of 12 500gns.

An end of January born son ofKingledores Rascal and bred from aCrookstown Hamish sired Ludgatemother, Woodies Snoop Dog won hisclass, the male champion and reservesupreme the previous day.

Stuart, who runs Woodhillock,Skene, picked up second prize at theRoyal Highland Show earlier in theyear.

The McAlister family from CountyAntrim, Northern Ireland, who farmArtnagullion purchased the lamb.

SHEEP NEW BELTEX LAMB RECORD

Beltex Breaks Lamb Record

EID

8

J

NFUScotland hasbacked MEPattempts to

modify Europe’s controversial ruleson sheep EID.

After heavy lobbying from NFUSand fellow farming unions – NFU,NFU Cymru, and the Ulster FarmersUnion – a number of MEPs fromacross the UK have tabled amendments to the CommonAgricultural Policy reform processwhich would introduce an element oftolerance in the EID rules.

George Lyon, Liberal DemocratMEP for Scotland, has laid amendments aimed at removing thethreat of SFP cross-compliancepenalties for farmers who have failedto comply with strict requirements inEID to replace sheep tags lostthrough no fault of their own. Hisamendments would also compel theEuropean Commission to introduceguidelines setting out further flexibility for Member States on theimplementation of EID rules.

To advertise in Farming Country

please call016444 60644

7

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Tesco will soon be stocking moreScotch Lamb in its stores acrossScotland as this delicious

product comes into season.The move will result in exclusively

Scotch Lamb across Tesco’s Finestrange from June to December as wellas 100 per cent Scotch Lamb acrossthe Tesco core brand year-round.Tesco is already committed to stocking 100 per cent Scotch Lambon its meat counters.

Adele Davenall-Gabain, buyingmanager for lamb at Tesco said: "Wewant to give our customers the bestlocal and regional produce Scotlandhas to offer, and to work closely withthe Scottish farming industry.

"Therefore we will be stocking 100per cent Scotch Lamb in our Finestrange in our Scottish stores, fromJune to December when Scotch lambis in season. We will also use 100 percent Scotch Lamb year-round for our

core Tesco-branded lamb products. "Our Tesco Scotland’s Favourites

event, which started on the 13thAugust marks the start of our commitment, with recipe ideas forScotch Lamb and information onwhere you can find your favourite cuts."

The news was strongly supportedby NFU Scotland.

NFU Scotland President NigelMiller said: "Having Scotland's biggestretailer commit to having moreScotch Lamb on its shelves is a hugeboost to the nation's sheep farmers. Scottish consumers attachhuge value to being able to buy food

that has been produced locally.” Over400 Scottish farmers supply Tescowith fresh quality lamb through supplier McIntosh Donald.

Alan McNaughton, Site Director ofMcIntosh Donald said: “We aredelighted Tesco has committed tomore Scotch Lamb in its Scottishstores.

“This will result in a considerableincrease in the volume of ScotchLamb being produced at ourPortlethen site in Aberdeenshire andis also great news for Scottish farmersas this should ensure continueddemand for quality Scotch Lamb.”

products and raw ingredients righthere in this region, and you have tobelieve this to be able to sell it. Okay,we had some very fortunate breakthroughs, along with someextraordinary help from GordonRamsay’s team, but it’s all about having the best product and absolutely believing in it.”

As well as supplying top Londonrestaurants, Barlochan Highland Beefcontinue to trade regularly at marketsin Dumfries & Galloway includingDumfries Farmers' Market, ColvendProducers Market, Creetown ProduceMarket, New Cample Market and atWigtown Market when stock allows.

8

Barlochan Highland Beef has hada boom during the past year andfor owners Nigel and Angela

Taylor they've been in the enviablebut daunting position of becomingone of Gordon Ramsay's favouritesuppliers!

While this time last year the couple were content with doing ahandful of local farmers' markets andsupplying their local shop with steakpies, this year they're supplyingRestaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea,one of only four restaurants in the UKto hold 3 Michelin stars. Nigelexplains: “As a business, financially,last year it was kind of borderline.Now, it’s all gone crazy! The majorityof our beef now goes direct toLondon supplying Gordon Ramsay'sFoxtrot Oscar and Restaurant GordonRamsay, the flagship 3-star Michelinrestaurant, where our produce actuallyappears on the menu as BarlochanHighland Beef. Our turnover of beefhas tripled and it looks set to increaseeven further with the London BeefCartel now placing regular orders.”

The demand for BarlochanHighland Beef was assured afterFoxtrot Oscar Head Chef CaryDocherty named it 'the best beef inthe world'. The first of GordonRamsay's chefs to discover it he hassince shared his passion for theHighlander beef with others anddemand has soared.

Nigel continues: “What’s so amazing is that we didn’t go looking

for this business, Cary found us! Wedidn’t understand the restaurant business well enough to even imaginethat our beef could make it onto thetables of one of the top restaurants inthe UK. We didn’t even know what3-star Michelin really meant and tofind out that there are only four ofthem in the UK and that our beef isserved at one of them is daunting tosay the least! Cary has been brilliantfor us. He is passionate about foodand works hard to source the bestingredients and then to serve them ina way that lets the food speak for itself."

Angela Taylor said: “We are reallyindebted to Cary and to Claire

Smyth, Head Chef at Ramsays, forthe help they have given us. One ofthe highlights was last Autumn whenboth chefs helped us achieve the BBCGood Food Show Bursary Award.This meant that Barlochan HighlandBeef was on show for five days infront of nearly 100,000 people. Itwas awesome! We had five staff onthe stand and still struggled to keepup. So much has happened in the lasttwelve months, it’s been a wonderfulroller coaster ride."

Nigel credits their success with apassionate belief in the quality ofDumfries & Galloway produce. "We have some of the best food

“.......turnover of beef has tripled and itlooks set to increase even further withthe London Beef Cartel now placingregular orders.”

Heaven’s Kitchen

by Lorna Young

BEEF BEEF MARKETING

NMR and RABDF have namedsix dairy businesses as finalistsin this year’s Gold Cup. They

will compete for the industry’s topaward, which will be presented at theLivestock Show, NEC on TuesdaySeptember 4.

The six herds, who fought off competition from 454 qualifyingherds in this year’s Gold Cup are: • Lawrie Bros, Sandyford, Monkton,

Prestwick, Ayrshire, Scotland • David and Louise Hodgson,

Wormanby Farm, Burgh by Sands,Carlisle

• Mike, Shan, Paul and Steve Miller,Greville Hall Farm, Evesham, Worcestershire

• Neil Christensen, Steanbow Farms, Shepton Mallet, Somerset

• Tim Gue, Huddlestone Farm, Horsham Road, Steyning, W Sussex

• Matthew Rowe, Great Tredinnick Farm, Liskeard, Cornwall

Starting in the north, GilmourLawrie took on the farm at Monkton,Ayr after the 2001 foot-and-mouthepidemic. Today half the 240Brieryside cows are red-and-whitewith the remainder pure Ayrshire.Now farming with his son Kevin andin partnership with his brother Jim,there are plans to increase numbers to300 cows along with forage and cerealcropping of the 445 hectares.

To accommodate this expansionthe cow housing is being extendedwith a new building providing 50more cubicles and housing a newrapid-exit milking parlour with heatdetectors and other management aidsto help improve herd fertility.

Fundamental to the herd’s breeding policy is retaining the attributes of the Ayrshire, with milkquality and longevity being vital characteristics. Of the herd, 52%have had four or more lactations.

The herd’s average for the GoldCup qualifying year endingSeptember 2011 was 9359kg of milkat 4% fat and 3.37% protein on threetimes-a-day milking. Cell count averaged 121,000 cells/ml. Milk issold at a premium to First Milk inGirvan on a Nestle contract, whichgoes to make chocolate crumb to coatKit-Kat biscuits.

David and Louise Hodgson’s 145-cow Wormanby Holstein herd is

based at Burgh by Sands in Cumbria.Cows here are bred for longevity,which means that as well as milk salesfrom their 145 milkers, the Hodgsonshave up to 40 newly calved heifersfor sale annually along with breedingbulls, amounting to a third of thebusiness’ gross income.

David and his father Harry currently manage the cattle themselves, with some relief help, onthe 122 hectares. Now, with a newcubicle house for 105 cows, most ofthe milking herd is housed year-round. Deep soft sand is usedfor bedding, which is proving farcheaper than straw. And the newhousing has also helped to lift production by 500kg a cow with onlysix cases of mastitis in the past 12months since they started using thebuilding.

For the qualifying Gold Cup yearending September 2011 the herdaveraged 10,761kg of milk at 3.76%fat and 3.12% protein on twice a daymilking. The current cell count is128,000/ml with a Bactoscan of 23.Milk is sold to Arla on a liquid contract.

Evesham producers, Mike andShan Miller and sons Paul and Stevenrun the 320-cow Shanael herd on the336 hectare tenanted unit.

Management of the farm is overseen by Mike, with Shan lookingafter the calves and accounts andSteve and Paul taking on cropping andcows respectively.

During the past 12 months theyhave increased herd size and taken onmore land. And they have alsostepped up fertility and health management. By the end of 2012they should be ‘fully stocked’ with350 cows.

Paul is pleased to see an improvement in calving interval to thecurrent 410 days following improvements in heat detection androutine vet visits to every two weeks,monitoring individual cows and trendsthrough InterHerd.

NMR annual average productionfor the Gold Cup qualifying year ending September 2011 is 12,199kgof milk, 535kg higher than the previous year, at 3.6% fat and 3.08%protein on three times-a-day milking.Milk is sold to Cotteswold Dairy in

Tewkesbury under a liquid contract. Neil Chrissen from Somerset

milks 517 Holstein cows at SteanbowFarms, Somerset, where he farms inpartnership with his father Finn andhis brother Michael.

With 200ha of pasture taken up bythe famous Glastonbury Festival eachsummer, the family made a drasticchange to the farm strategy about fiveyears ago. They opted to house thecows all year round. Heifers remainon the farm for their first year, andare contract reared for the secondyear, before calving at just over twoyears old.

Changes were also made to the drycow ration to combat high potassiumlevels in the grass.

Investment in a slurry store andcalving buildings has improved theworking of the unit. Now they areaiming to improve milk productionfrom forage and driving for more efficiency by doing everything a littlebit better.

Since moving the cows indoorsthey have paid close attention to cowcomfort. They mobility score once aweek, trim the cows’ feet three timesa year, and foot dip them after everyevening milking.

Production in the qualifying yearto September 2011 for the herd averaged 10,521kg of milk at 3.78%fat and 3.13% protein on three timesa day milking. Cell counts averaged104,000 cells/ml and the calvinginterval stands at 387 days. Milk issold on Dairy Crest’s Sainsburys contract.

Tim and Marion Gue from WestSussex manage the Huddlestone pedigree herd, based at Steyning withhelp from four full-time staff,including two herd managers.

The Gues place great importanceon team management and believe thatin order to run such a large herd, agood team and a sound managementsystem, have to be in place. Day-to-day tasks are split between histwo herd managers. One focuses onhealth management, including mastitis, and calving. The other ischarged with foot trimming andrecord keeping. Fertility is a vital areaof herd management and benefitsfrom having both their eyes on theball – they share responsibility here.

Ayrshire Herd Makes Final Six

10 Farming Country – Issue eighty-six

DAIRY LIVESTOCK EVENT

The herd calves from Augustthrough to April and is fed a TMR,formulated by Marion, all year round.Average production stands at11,058kg of milk – around 250 kg percow more than in 2011 – at 3.82%butterfat and 3.12% protein on three-times-a-day milking. Averagecell count for the year endingSeptember 2011 was 117,000cells/ml with a herd PLI of 77 – oneof the highest among this year’s GoldCup finalists. Milk is sold to Tescovia Arla.

Matthew Rowe from Cornwallmilks 360 cows in partnership withhis parents at Tredinnick Farms nearLiskeard. The 228-hectare unitadjoins Bodmin Moor, creating challenges for pasture management.

In 2011 they built a new shed for150 cows, to improve welfare andcreate space to expand into. The planis to increase cow numbers to 400 bythe end of 2012.

The Holstein herd averagesbetween 3.2 and four lactations. Inthe Gold Cup qualifying year, endingSeptember 2011, they averaged8,956kg of milk at 4.13% fat and3.22% protein on twice a day milkingwith a cell count of 189,000 cells/mland Bactoscan of 30.

The aim is to increase yields tobetween 9500 and 10,000kg duringthe next 12 to 18 months, mainlythrough improving cow health andlongevity. Matthew also wants toincrease milk from forage which iscurrently at about 2500 litres.

Cows at Tredinnick calve all yearround and split the herd into threegroups, comprising dry cows, heifersand older cows.

The six NMR/RABDF Gold Cupfinalists will be judged by DavidCotton, Chairman, RABDF, BryanThomas, ex-director, NMR, and 2009Gold Cup winner Geoff Spence. Thewinner of the NMR/RABDF GoldCup 2012 will be announced at theDairy Event, NEC on TuesdaySeptember 4 on the NMR stand at4.30pm along with the winner of theNMR Silver Salver to the runner upand the Chris May Memorial Salver,which will be awarded to the GoldCup qualifying herd with the highestaverage lifetime daily yield.

Aclear opportunity exists for theScottish dairy industry to tapinto valuable export markets

according to an interim report presented to the Scottish dairy strategy working group.

The paper, prepared for the groupby Scottish Development International– Scottish Enterprise’s internationalarm – and Scotland Food & Drink,states that there is a growing worlddairy market for dairy products, withgood provenance, of the type thatScotland can produce. Branding, market research and investment arerequired but opportunities forScottish dairy produce exist in niche,value added and premium markets.The report cites the export success ofthe Irish Dairy Board as a model thatmerits further examination.

It concludes that investing in thedevelopment of value added productsand markets will play an importantpart in revenue generation; buildingvalue into the Scottish dairy supplychain, increasing milk producers’ confidence in the industry and reducing milk processors’ current

reliance on domestic giant retailers. Following the meeting, further

work on the interim report will nowbe undertaken before final publication. The group – whichincludes representatives from theScottish Government, ScottishDevelopment International (SDI),Scotland Food & Drink, Dairy UKand NFU Scotland – will then sharethe report with the Scottish dairysupply chain. The vision is to createa strong Scottish brand for milk anddairy products that makes inroads intothe European and global dairy market.

NFU Scotland Vice President,Allan Bowie said: “Huge potentialexists in world markets for dairy.While companies have started to tapinto demand for commodity dairyproducts, scope is there for addingvalue and developing the Scottishbrand. Scottish dairy farmers willlook at the success of whisky, salmonand beef in selling the Scottish storyand believe that our dairy produce canmake it into the same premier league.That requires all parties to buy intothis report and start looking seriouslyat the opportunities overseas.

“In the same way that we are asking dairy farmers to look at routesto better collaboration through theumbrella of Dairy Farmers Together,there is the potential for parts of theScottish dairy supply chain to pulltogether to realise the potential thatexists in export markets.”

Rural Affairs Secretary RichardLochhead said: “This interim reportconfirms that potentially lucrativeexport opportunities exist for theScottish dairy sector. Our task nowis to ensure we take advantage of ourburgeoning international reputation asa land of food and drink to fullyexploit these opportunities.

“By working together our salmonindustry has shown what can beachieved in a short period of time andI hope that the dairy sector can workwith SDI to mirror that level of success in overseas markets.”

Scotland Food & Drink ChiefExecutive, James Withers said: “Witha foundation of efficient producersand world class production, Scotlandis superbly placed to serve a growingglobal market for dairy products.The interim work we’ve done so far

emphasises this and starts to developour roadmap to grow the Scottishindustry’s presence on the world stage.

“The formula of premium products and strong provenance is awinning one for the nation’s otherfood and drinks sectors. The time isright for the dairy industry in thiscountry to move in the same directionand I believe a collaboration betweenindustry and government can make ithappen.”

Dairy UK’s Scottish Director, KirkHunter said: “SDI’s research confirms that consumers around theworld are increasing their demand fordairy products. If we can get our acttogether there are exciting opportunities for Scotland’s dairyindustry to capitalise on theseexpanding markets. Dairy is alreadyone of the major exporting sectorswithin Scotland’s food and drink sector. This is a solid platform for usto build on. We now need to moveforward quickly, collaborate effectively within the supply chainand be willing to learn from the successes of other Scottish food anddrink industries in export markets.”

Strategy Group Receives interim Report


DAIRY NFUS

11

Dairy Spares has re-launched animproved model of theGoossen Backing Gate –

instead of rails there is a lightweightmesh barrier, which is electrifiable. Itis suspended from a metal overheadcentral track, making it simpler andcheaper to install than gates, whichneed bolting to the collecting yardwalls. The barrier can also be raisedto pass back over incoming animalsand save time.

With the Goossen Backing Gatesystem, an alarm sounds as the gatemoves the cows forward to the parlour. The gate can be electrifiedto encourage new cows in the herd tomove forward, although after time,

they learn to respond to the alarm.The gate is controlled from a panel

installed at the end of the milking pit.For safety, the gate only moves forward when a button is pressed andheld. In reverse mode, the gate automatically travels to the rear ofthe yard without the need to continuously press the button. Aremote control option is also availablefor raising and lowering the gate,which is useful for the driver of thescraper tractor.

The Goossen Backing Gate is custom-made for each situation: thecost of a fitted 7m (24ft) wide gatefor a 24m (80ft) deep collecting yard,would be £8,500.

LIGHT, fast and robust the newTailwell2 Power Tail Trimmer can beused on a drill with a 14v battery unit.

Being launched at the Livestock andDairy Event, Sept 4/5 by distributorsAgrihealth, stand LE244, this niftymachine with a unique NZ designtotally trims a tail in 10 secs! A hugestep forward in maintaining high standards of hygiene and animalhealth as tail docking was banned in ‘06.

Cylindrical cutters give an all

round trim from one pass up the tailwith no risk of cuts to animal or operator. Weighing less than half akilo this easy to use, easy to serviceTailwell2 Power Tail Trimmer makestail trimming in milking parlour orcattle crush speedier, simpler andsafer. Recommended Retail Price£295.

For details of stockists contactAgrihealth Ltd, Freephone; 0800 7312490 or e mail [email protected]

DAIRY NEW PRODUCTS

Improved Backing Gate

The Glenside Group (Stand FF-404 at Livestock 2012) islaunching a new range of

seaweed-based licks to help livestockfarmers keep their stock in optimumhealth.

This new range of licks is based onthe company’s Seaquim seaweedmeal, a high quality product madefrom freshly harvested Hebrideanseaweed containing over 60 elements,as well as amino acids and vitamins.

Farmers have been using Seaquimand the old Seaquim bucket range tobalance livestock diets for manyyears, but have been increasinglydemanding products tailored to theirindividual needs, says Ian Robertson,

Managing Director of Glenside: “Thisnew range will offer users the optionof licks containing enhanced levels ofelements like copper, zinc, cobalt,magnesium and selenium, so thatfarmers can use them to address particular shortages that might beoccurring on their individual farms.We can also add other ingredients likegarlic, which is proven to help wardoff flies.

“Farm trials have produced someexcellent results, with early usersreporting that livestock take to thelicks easily and their health and condition benefits as a result”.

The new licks are available in 25kgor 100Kg plastic buckets.

Glenside Launches New Licks

Relaunched Trimmer


13

Angus Australia plan to shiftmore bulls into northernAustralia with the development

of an online tool to help beef producers in non-temperate climatesbetter manage Bos Taurus-Bos Indicuscrossbreeding programs.

The organisation's project officerKen Bryan, who has been gaining feedback from producers throughoutNorth Queensland, the NorthernTerritory and northern WA on theirexperience using Angus bulls, saysAngus Australia is aiming to releasethe interactive web based program bythe end of the year.

“Producers using the program willbe able to enter data relevant to their

location and enterprise and the program would then make a recommendation on how best to manage Angus bulls in their operation.

“It's about identifying the mainstressors that can affect Angus bullperformance in the north and thenputting management plans in place toextend their working life," said Ken.

The work was commissioned byAngus Australia at a time when it waswidely accepted the national herd wasmoving north and towards the 30Mhead mark by 2013, while proportionately greater numbers ofAngus bulls were still being sold tobuyers in southern Australia.

Chartered loss adjuster, Agrical,warns of the potential increasein grain dryer fires because of

the consistent inclement weather.Nigel Collinson, managing director

at Agrical explains: "Farmers in themidst of the harvest are under pressure to get the crops in as quicklyas possible to avoid them being spoiltas the weather continues to bechangeable. This means the harvested crops are likely to havehigher moisture content and graindryers will be working around the clockso the crops can be stored or sold.

"Grain moisture content needs tobe around 15%, anything aboverequires drying. Whilst farmers willlook to maintain their dryers beforethe harvest season starts, potentialfires could be prevented by regularmaintenance and cleaning during thedrying time. If a dryer is workinglong hours each day it can overheat,

parts can get worn quickly and chaffcan build up in the machine - theseare potential fire hazards.

"Where at all possible, farmersshould look to give the grain dryersome downtime to allow for cleaningout and checking over. We appreciateits difficult and the weather seems tobe against farmers this harvest buteven if they are fully insured a graindryer fire can be extremely inconvenient and may have other consequential impacts.

"It is essential that a suitable num-ber of appropriate fire extinguishersare placed near the dryer in case a firestarts."

On average Agrical will visitupwards of 50 grain dryer fires a yearand see first-hand the devastationthey can cause - the fire can spread tobuildings, stored crops and machinery.Often these fires can result in losseswhich run to six figure sums.

Grain Drier Fires

Bulk milk surveillance for stomach worm exposure indairy cows has found high levels

in 68% of herds, with “probable sub-clinical effects on health and production,” according to the testguidelines.

Between September 2011 andMarch this year, 449 milk samplessubmitted by dairy vets and SQP animal health advisers were analysedindependently for Pfizer VPS and theprogramme continues.

Stomach worm (Ostertagiaostertagi) is the species identifiedmost often in dairy cows and knownto suppress appetite, explains PfizerVPS vet Andrew Montgomery.“Numerous trials have found a yieldresponse to worming treatment, typically in the region of

1kg/cow/day,” he says.“At 25p/litre, this would be worth

£76/cow over a 305-day lactation, orabout £16,500/year in a typical 200-cow herd.

Some trials have also identifiedimprovements in reproductive performance although this remains tobe proven absolutely.”

When test results indicate thatworming is justified, Mr Montgomeryrecommends a moxidectin pour ontreatment in the late dry period tomaximise the gain over the highestyielding, early part of lactation.

The bulk milk surveillance programme is ongoing and free Pfizertest kits are available from participating VPS animal medicinesuppliers and veterinary practices.

Worm Exposure in 68% of dairy herds

The proposed ban on the movement of cattle known tobe persistently infected (PI)

with BVD means that it is increasingly important for Scottishfarmers to be aware of the diseasestatus of their herd. A new schemelaunched in conjunction with SACwill allow early identification andaction in order to comply with futurelegislation.

Fearing has recently launched a ‘Tagand Test’ service that allows farmersto take tissue samples from newborncalves and identify PI animals in lessthan a week.

The Geno tags collect a sample ofear tissue in a hermetically sealed,tamper-proof container with a uniqueidentifier to ensure full traceability.The samples are sent for analysis to

SAC laboratories and the results arereturned within 5 working days toboth the farmer and his vet.

“The Scottish Government consultation document clearly statesthat if PI cattle are removed from thenational herd, BVD will be eradicated,”said George Caldow, Vet Managerwith the SAC and BVD expert.“Making it easy to integrate testingwith a routine process such as taggingnewborn calves helps farmers identifythe culprits early on.”

The Fearing Geno tag is availableas part of a Ministry Approved pairand the cost to farmers is £5.99including the BVD test.

For more information, call FearingCustomer Service on 01604 881491or visit www.fearing.co.uk.

Tag & Test

Angus on the Up in OZLetter

Dear Editor,

With reference to the fabulous World Record attempt by fifty of the country’s largest tractors, Case IH Quadtracs, ploughing in one field at thesame time on 29 July, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all thosewho took part. To Helen Rainthorpe, Neil Maddison and the team at JJRFarms for masterminding it, to all those Quadtrac owners who travelled fromall over the UK at a busy time of the year to make it happen, to everyone whoattended on the day to witness this spectacular event, and lastly, to those whohave generously donated (at the time of writing) over £27,000 to CancerResearch UK.

The sight of fifty monster tractors with headlights blazing and the sounds ofthe powerful engines and horns blaring was breath-taking and the GuinnessWorld Record is a fine tribute to Helen’s father, John, who sadly died from cancer two years ago and donations can still be made viawww.quadtracrecord.co.uk.

Many thanks to everyone. You were all great.

Yours sincerely Charles BlessleyCase IH


14

The “Olympic effect” this summer may well have exacerbated the seasonal swing

in beef prices by generating higherdemand at the start of July followedby a more significant tail-off at theend of the month.

Cattle prices remain close to anhistoric high but eased during Julydespite tight supplies and falling numbers of cattle at Scottish auctionmarkets and abattoirs.

Normally tight supplies result insome lift in price but, according toIain Macdonald, Economics Analystwith Quality Meat Scotland, there area number of factors which mayexplain the price slippage this year.

“First of all, there is a seasonal factor at play,” said Mr Macdonald.“Producer prices tend to dip in lateJuly when weekly slaughter numberstend to be at their lowest. Demandfor beef weakens significantly duringthis period and prices slip back asprocessors are better placed to covertheir reduced requirements.”

However, this year it looks likelythe Olympic Games may also haveplayed a significant part in the equation.

“Demand for the beef needed tosupply spectators is likely to havepeaked three or four weeks prior tothe commencement of the OlympicGames. If demand peaked at thebeginning of July, this fits with recentprice movements.

“Deadweight beef prices rosethrough June and reached a recordhigh of 358.3p/kg in the first week ofJuly, before sliding back to 353.6p/kg

by the end of the month. With tightcattle supplies so far this year,increased competition betweenprocessors to supply beef to meetOlympics-related demand may wellhave contributed to this pick-up inprice followed by the tail-off at theend of July.”

However, while the Olympics mayhave had an effect, he said it is alsoimportant to consider the impact ofthe wider economic environment ondemand.

“The British economy appears tobe stuck in a vicious circle that is difficult to break. With the economyback in recession, 5% smaller than in2008, many businesses have beenreluctant to invest and/or expandworkforces and households have subsequently been cautious, leadingto weak demand for firms’ goods andservices.

“The dampening effect of astronger Sterling and the well-documented economic problemsin Europe on UK exports has provedparticularly problematic given thatpolicymakers have prescribed anexport-led recovery to offset weakdomestic activity.”

Perhaps the principle factorrestraining domestic activity has beenfalling household disposable income,as inflation has been running wellabove earnings growth since April2010. Though consumer prices inflation has fallen back from 5.2%last September, at 2.4% in June, itwas still well above the 1.5% growthin average earnings reported for thethree months to May. The squeeze

on incomes has been exacerbated bythe rising prices of items that consumers purchase most often, suchas, fuel, energy and food. Consequently,many households have had to cutback on discretionary purchases andtrade down towards cheaper items.

In this economic environment,beef consumption has suffered. Datafrom market research organisation,Kantar, shows that purchased volumes have been pushed lower bystrong growth in retail prices.

In the 12 weeks to July 8 beefconsumption declined by 3% year-on-year. Retail beef prices havebeen growing at double-digit proportions since December 2011 asthe supply chain has attempted torecoup the extra cost, which it hashad to pay to source raw material.This was the result of a 21% increasein producer prices between February

and November 2011 and in additionhigher energy and distribution costshave had to be covered.

“However, there is some prospectof improving beef demand towardsthe year-end,” said Mr Macdonald.

“Cattle supplies are expected toimprove slightly in the latter part ofthe year, as the effects of increasedcalvings during late 2010 and into2011 begin to arrive on the market.This may allow some stabilisation inretail prices which, when comparedwith year earlier levels, will reducethe year-on-year increase in retailprice and hard pressed consumerswill, hopefully, perceive better valuefor money.”

Mr Macdonald also pointed outthat if headline rates of inflation inthe UK economy continue to subsidesome modest recovery in overall consumer spending may be encouraged.

Olympic Gold for Beef Farmers

THE CUTTING EDGE EATING QUALITY



MONITOR FARM LIVESTOCK FARMERS

Meet the Monitor Farmers

Glenbarr Farms consists ofthree separate units farmed asone business. The land is

predominantly in grass. The two business enterprises are a 135cowherd of Angus cross cows and 600blackface and Lleyn cross ewes. Thecattle are spring calving with all theprogeny finished on farm, mostly offgrass. The sheep are split between anintensive flock lambing early insideand a more extensive flock lambingoutside later. All of the lambs are finished on farm off grass and rape.Cows are wintered outside until calving with the sheds used mainly forthe finishing cattle in their first winter.

The farm grows 40ha of barleypartly to combine and partly as wholecrop silage to supplement the grasssilage, most of which is a single cut.Feed purchases of up to 25t of soya,50t of grain balancer and 5 t of beetpulp are mainly protein balancers andminerals to compliment the prop-corned barley and silage.

As one of two monitor farmsestablished, following a request fromthe Argyll and Bute AgriculturalForum, Glenbarr farms operated byDuncan Macalister has proved a popular choice for the communitygroup of farmers on the Kintyre

Farmer: Iain and Helen MacKay

Farming: Troloisk Farm

Location: Ulva Ferry, Isle of Mull, Argyll

Area: 3100 ha:2880ha tenanted 220ha rented, seasonal basis

Cattle: 51 Highland cowsStock Bulls – Highland, Simmy

Sheep: 400 Blackface ewes400 BF X Cheviot ewes50 Cheviot Stud eweslambsTups

Crops: 15ha Silage3ha Forage Rape117ha Rough Permanent Grazing2965ha Rough Hill Grazing

Elevation: Sea level up to a max of 350m

Facilitators: Niall Campbell & Donald MacKinnon

Funded by:

Started: 9th March 2011

FARM FACTS

The Mull Monitor Farm atTorloisk run by Iain Mackay wasestablished following a request

from the Argyll and Bute AgriculturalForum and held its first meeting inthe spring of 2011. With an aim ofimproving the efficiency and profitability of the unit and farms onMull the regular meetings haveproved to be popular with local farmers. Agreed aims on Torloisk areto improve lambing percentage andoutput, increase the productivity ofthe in-bye ground and to review thecattle enterprise with suggestedoptions from the group, which haveallowed a wide range of topics withrelevant practical demonstrations inthe past year.

Taking on the challenge of developing the in-bye ground, threefields were identified in 2011 forimprovement with the aim of establishing and supporting a more

productive low-ground flock toincrease the productivity from sheepon the unit. The community group offarmers were able to visit these fieldsover the year assessing establishment,costs and effectiveness. Actions ineach have allowed the establishmentof field comparisons to provide thegroup with physical examples toassess success.

The fields all established successfully with increased productionfrom the ground allowing a crop ofsilage to be taken, flushing of ewesand finishing of lambs. Subsequentissues have been identified confirmingthe importance of good managementof these areas in year two. Additionalfields have also been earmarked forimprovement in the summer of 2012,to continue the process and a reviewof the overall sheep performance atthe end of the project to assess productivity improvements.

Farmer: Duncan & Fiona Macalister

Farming: Glenacardoch, Glenbarr Farms

Location: Glenbarr, Tarbert, Argyll

Area: 1720acres owned

Cattle: 115 AA X cows outwintered20 AA X Bulling Heifers22 AA X in-calf Heifers4 stock bulls – all AA122 calves

Sheep: 300 Greyface & Llyen ewes300 Blackface ewes22 Suffolk, Cheviot & Llyen tups650 lambs, all finished off grass & forage rape

.Crops: 295acres Temporary Grass

205acers Permanent Grass520acres Rough Hill Grazing100acres Spring Barley20acres Fodder Rape 600acres in trees

Elevation:0 - 275 ft above sea level

Facilitators: Linda McLean & Alan Boulton

Funded by: QMS

Started: 16 March 2011

FARM FACTS

Glenacardoch – Glenbarr, Argyll

Troloisk – Isle of Mull, Argyll

peninsula. Having established areas offocus for the project through use of awhole farm review and SWOT analysis it has been Duncan himselfwho has highlighted areas of importance, which have generatedinteresting meetings for the group.

A concern expressed during initialreviews that soil structure issues maybe limiting the effects of expensiveefforts to improve production. Toallow decisions to be taken on revisionof the cultivation programme soil specialist James Bretherton was invited to assess soils on the farm andfocus on fields needing improvementwith the group. James introduced thegroup to the real thing by diggingsample pits and visually assessing and“smelling” the soil. In one field sour

smells and little structure in the soilindicated anaerobic conditions and alack of organic structure as a result ofover cultivation. A recommendationwas made to shallow plough andreseed to a ley for several years forroots to aerate the soil and developsome structure.

James summarised for the groupthe importance of understanding andmanaging the soil on farm as aresource to provide benefits in allareas from crop growth, fertilisermanagement and livestock efficiency.As a result of the full assessmentGlenbarr farms have already mademajor changes to their cultivation policy ranging from shallower ploughing to use of a sward lifter andmixing of magnesium and calcium lime.

16

One of the main aims of theMonitor Farmer, JohnnyMackenzie, was to sell all

calves as yearlings to avoid summering.Prior to the Monitor farm project,Westfield only sold the best of theirstore cattle in April with the remainder having to be kept over thesummer months on rented grazing.The Monitor Farm Community groupfelt this was an added cost and thefeeding regime could possibly beimproved to enable all store cattle tobe sold in April and reduce therequirement for seasonal grazing.

The group felt action was requiredfollowing the results of the previous

years QMS benchmarking, whichshowed Westfield with a negative netmargin per cow of £108.50.Following silage analysis an improvedfeeding regime was devised withincreased daily live weight gain targetsthan had previously been used onWestfield. Animals were pennedaccording to size to try to improvegrowth rates across all sizes of animals.

• The output per cow has risen dramatically due to the improvedweights and quality of the young stocksold off Westfield in the spring of 2011.

• Variable costs have risen due tothis but have been offset in some wayby the reduced costs of seasonal grazing which was required in the past.

• Careful management of fixedcosts has also been a factor in turninga considerable negative net margin percow in 2010 to a satisfactory positiveof £59.13 in 2011.

The project at Westfield is due tofinish in February 2013 but the farm isalso involved in ongoing work with thePARABAN project in relation toJohnes disease.

Now entering its third and finalyear the Moray and NairnMonitor farm hosted by the

Newlands family has proved a positive challenge for the management group and facilitatorsdriven by host farmer and communitygroup eager to ensure a successfulfuture for their businesses.

There has been a regular attendance of over fifty farmers fromthe community group at meetings andin excess of a hundred attended theopen evening held in July.

Whilst advantage was taken of theweather allowing a trailer tour to seethe lie of the land and groups ofBritish Blue cows and their calves thereal focus of the evening was on thegroups run by the facilitator and community group members highlighting the actions and changeson Health Strategy, Improving theSheep, The Suckler System (outdoorwintering and calving), IntensiveFinishing and Recording Performance.In each case there were examples of

small scale farm trials taking place andan adherence to using figures.

Robbie has used simple software tomaintain business records and has alsofocussed on recording technical information that is relevant, which hasproved a real opportunity for thecommunity group to drill down andassess the performance of enterpriseswhilst also encouraging simple fieldtrials. These have included severalassessing protein in the bull diets andthe effect of introducing protein tothe calf creep on weaning weights.

The availability of figures fromRobbie has encouraged the group toshare theirs and a sub group of tenproducers has been established providing their own data for theirbeef enterprises, which has allowed indepth comparison between differingsystems. All members believe this hashelped them assess the options fortheir business in light of futurechanges in support mechanisms. Theconclusions are that record-keeping isworthwhile if it’s simple, repeatable,accurate (e.g. need a weigh crate!)and used responsibly.

As Robbie summarised “the greatthing about the Monitor Farm is theexperience of the community group –some members provided their figuresand experience and helped us to cometo conclusions for Cluny”

MONITOR FARM LIVESTOCK FARMERS

Farmer: Robbie & Kirsty Newlands &his father Robbie

Farming: Cluny

Location: Rafford, Forres

Area: 1000 acres70 acres at Broicklochj

Cattle: 150 Bel Blue X beef cows33 BB X Bulling Heifers

6 stock bulls – 5 Char, 1 Lim

Sheep: 650 Mule ewes19 Suffolk Tups900 -1000 lambs, all finished

.Crops: 10.5ha Swedes

60ha Spring Barley45ha Hay10ha Stubble Turnips 64ha woodland & whins

Elevation:150- 650ft above sea level

Facilitators: Peter Cook & Colin Anderson

Funded by:

Started: June 2010

FARM FACTS

Westfield Farm – Thurso, Caithness

Cluny Farm –Forres, Moray &Nairn

Farmer: Johnny MacKenzie

Farming: Westfield Farm

Location: Thurso, Caithness

Area: acres owned410ha rented seasonally

Cattle: 280 suckler cows

Sheep: 460 ewes

Crops: 23ha cropped 109ha temporary grazing60ha permanent grazing31ha rough grazing176ha environmental schemes410ha rented seasonally

Elevation:up to 100m above sea level

Facilitators: Derek Hanton & Willie Budge

Funded by: QMS & Scottish Government,& Allans of Gillock, ANM, WD Cormack &Sons, Caithness Livestock breeders, MeySelections, W&A Geddes, DS McGregorand Partners, NFU Scotland & NFU Mutual

Started: 24th February 2010

FARM FACTS

Table 1 - Westfield Suckler Cows 2010 v 2011

Per Cow Westfield 2011 Westfield 2010

Output £617.44 £422.00Variable Costs £161.03 £108.00

Gross Margin before forage £456.41 £314.00Gross Margin after forage £369.42 £258.00

Fixed Costs £310.29 £366.21Net Margin £59.13 -£108.50

17

Following a successful organicmonitor farm project inPerthshire there was support for

the establishment of another unit toreflect the on-going CAP changes andrelevant challenges and opportunitieswithin the reform for an organic unitin Scotland. Funding from the SkillsDevelopment Scheme within SRDP,Quality Meat Scotland and ScottishOrganic Producers Association(SOPA) allowed the Cooper family tobe chosen as hosts with the firstmeeting held in early 2011.

An interesting element of the project has been the plan to hold onemeeting a year away from Mains ofThornton on units elsewhere allowingmore farmers to gain knowledge related to Organic farming throughoutScotland. Most recently this was heldat Fala Mains nr Pathhead, Midlothianwhere demonstrations and discussionsfocussed on sheep health and EID insheep were discussed. Of particularinterest was the Moredun work onTargeted Selected Treatment (TST)for parasite control in sheep flocks.

Back home in Inverurie the Cooperfamily hosted a very successful openevening in July where the communitygroup and interested farmers andbusinesses were able to find out moreabout the monitor farm and actions

undertaken. In common with themajority of farms in the programmethere has been a focus on soil and forage analysis to assess the quality ofthe ground and the crops produced onit. In addition the Coopers haveworked with the group to identifysuitable winter feed options for thelivestock.

This has included a suggestionfrom an earlier meeting of establishingsome a multi-crop to assess it’s usefulness. The Coopers are expecting multi-cropping to providesilage for winter feeding, aftermathgrazing for finishing lambs, flushingewes in the late back end and thenoverwintering for lambs and ewes aswell. With advice from Ian Eadie ofBritish Seed Houses home saved oatsand barley have been under sown withthe hybrid brassicas Swift andRedstart. An August cut of wholcropwill be stored using AgBag with thecontractor monitoring the yield. A lieback, of 10 acres sown to Westerwold,will be provided for ewes and lambswhich has the potential of 50-60% regrowth following the harvest. TheCoopers aim to keep records on howmany ‘mouths’ the crop can feed as itcould be a useful crop to help reduceimported feed costs. However theyadmit to being on a learning curve to

Farmer: George & Charles Gordon

Farming: Lost Farm

Location: Strathdon, Aberdeenshire

Area: 457ha acres tenanted

Cattle: 100 Simm X suckler cows60 bought in bulling Heifers90 Store cattle6 Stock Bulls – 2 Char, 2Simm,2 Limousin

Sheep: 920 BFL & Mule ewes1400 lambs25 Tups - Lleyns, Suffolk, Texel

Crops: 24ha Spring Barley6ha Turnips

Grassland:68ha Temporary219ha Permanent Grazing140ha Rough Grazing9ha Environmental Schemes

Elevation: 304m to 550m above sea level

Facilitators: Alister Laing & David Ross

Funded by: QMS & Cairngorm National Park Authority

Started: 30th November 2011

FARM FACTS

Lost comprises 4 units spreadaround Strathdon with a 20 mileround trip.

George and Charles Gordonbecame the second monitor farmhosts in the Cairngorms National Parkfollowing the Park farmers’ forumidentifying the need for a unit toreflect the challenges of farming within the park and to include morefocus on sheep.

George Gordon is chairman of theStrathdon Agricultural association,which runs a small machinery ring andthis willingness to work together for financial benefit was immediately carried through to sharing informationwith the group. The benefit of earlytesting analysis has been in seen in thefirst year of the project:

Poor growth rates in the lambs andsome sudden deaths indicated a majorhealth issue and following up faecalegg counts with post mortems of thelivers of the dead lambs helpedidentify a major Liver Fluke problem.Dr Philip Skuce from MoredunResearch Institute and David Miskellyfrom Woodside vets joined the secondmeeting of the group to discuss theresults and devise a plan for treatment,management and future testing in thecattle and sheep. This included blood

testing cattle at the same time as testing for BVD to get a snapshot ofantibody levels to Liver Fluke.

The community group thought itwas very important to establish the fertility status of the soil and improvewhere required. The business hasrarely carried out soil analysis and sosixty eight of the improved fields weresampled by conventional methods and5 fields resampled using GPS methods.The results of the former soil analysesshowed the majority of fields to be inpoor condition with low PH levelsThe GPS tests gave similar results,but showed a better distribution ofpH values within the field. As aresult of the soil analyses lime hasbeen applied to fields that are to becropped or reseeded. The fields thathave been sampled by GPS have beenspread using GPS machinery allowingcost effective targeted spreading.

The project receives funding inputfrom the Cairngorm National ParkAuthority (CNPA). This interest hasbeen reflected by a recent visit fromthe CNPA Board members whichproved a great insight for them whendiscussing the uncertainty of CAPreform and its effect on LandManagement by estate owners andtheir tenants.

Farmer: Brothers Leslie & Kenneth Cooper, with their sons Murray & Mark & mother Margaret

Farming: Mains of Thornton

Location: Bourtie, Inverurie

Area: 360ha owned

Cattle: 104 AA X Limousin cows15 Bulling Heifers3 stock bulls – 2 AA, 1 Limmy100 calves, sold @ as organic

all finished

Sheep: 950 Texel & Charollais X ewes25 Texel & Charollais Tups1500 lambs, all finished off grass, neeps & rape

.Crops: 210ha Rotational Grass

16ha Permanent Grass50ha Spring Barley4ha Spring Oats20ha Stubble Turnips

Facilitators: Maggie Magee & Debs Roberts

Funded by: QMS, Skills Development Scheme & Scottish Organic Producers Association

Started: 14 January 2011

FARM FACTS

Lost Farm – Strathdon, Aberdeenshire

Mains of Thornton – Inverurie, Aberdeenshire

see how crop can be managed to optimise cutting and grazing andmaintaining brassica cover. Those atthe open day expressed interest inmonitoring the success of the cropover the remainder of 2012.


18

MONITOR FARM DAIRY FARMERS

DairyCo’s Carcary MonitorFarm focussed on achievingnumerous herd health targets

over the past year including increasingthe herd’s overall health and animalwelfare status, a reduction in calvinginterval and age at first calving as wellas an increase in herd numbers.

The Milne family, Sandy and wife,Emma, father, Ian and mother, Dawn,own the 370 Carcary Holstein herd at

Brechin, Angus. The 1,250 acrearable and dairy business operatesover two neighbouring units; 600acres at Carcary Farm and 650 acresat East Pitforthie Farm, where thedairy unit is situated.

In 2009, the family milked 342Holsteins and set a target to increaseherd numbers to 370 over the next 24months. Carcary has also placed particular emphasis on reducing the

DairyCo’s Hillhead MonitorFarm achieved numerous settargets over the past year

including the establishment of a newdairy unit; an increase in herd numbers, an increase in milk yield, areduction in calving interval and anincrease in margin over purchased feed.

Willie Fleming and his father andmother Robert and Margaret, run the250 acre Hillhead Farm at KirkpatrickFleming, Dumfries. The business alsorents an additional 120 acres of neighbouring land for silage andyoung-stock purposes.

In 2010, the family set a target toestablish a dairy unit on a green fieldsite by 2011 and increase herd numbers from 190 to 250 cows. “Anadditional 60 animals have nowentered the herd. Milk yields haveincrease slightly, despite the increasein heifer numbers and herd health andgeneral well-being appear to haveimproved across the board due to thenew housing environment,” Willie says.

Milk yields have slightly increasedwith 2011 – 2012 performance running at 9,786kgs @ 3.69% fat and3.14% protein for heifers, and cows

averaging 10,400kgs @ 3.75% and3.18% protein. Milk sold in March2010 – February 2011 was 1,740,989litres and performance level fromMarch 2011 – February 2012 hasresulted in 2,135,000 litres sold.

Older animals were maintained inorder to sustain numbers until heiferreplacements were fully introduced.This resulted in a 2010 - 2011 calvinginterval of 426 days. The calvinginterval has been substantiallyreduced over the past 12 months by21 days and fertility levels have alsoincreased.

Owing to the increase in herd size,the introduction of beet pulp over thewinter months helped replace theadditional 1,200 tonnes of requiredsilage. The change in the diet resultedin an increase cost of 57p per cow perday compared to the previous year.Additional feed costs across the herdincreased by £286 per day.

Milk sales have increased by 1,300litres per day; resulting in an increasein milk sales value of £377 per day.The result was an increase of £91 perday margin over concentrates (MOC)An increase in milk price and milkquality bonus added another increaseof £186 per day. Despite a substantialincrease in purchased feed, overallmargin over feed is approximately£275 per day.

Farmer: William Fleming

Farming: Hillhead

Location: Kirkpartrick-Fleming, LockerbieDumfriesshire

Area: 320 acres (120ac rented)

Cows: 280 milking cows100 young stock

Sheep: 16

Crops: 60 acres arable180 acres intensive grassland40ha permanent grass40ha hill pasture

Elevation:200- 600ft above sea level

Facilitators:Heather Wildman & SophieKinnear

Funded by: Scottish Government withsupport from DairyCo, QMS and RobertWiseman Dairies


FARM FACTS

Carcary Farms – Brechin, Angus

Hillhead – Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire

Farmer: Sandy Milne

Farming: Carcary Farms and East Pitforthie

Location: Farnell, Brechin, Angus

Area: 1250 acres owned

Cattle: 340 milking cows340 young stock

Crops: 940ha arable110ha intensive grazing25ha semi-permanent grazing90ha permanent rough grazingother 80ha

Elevation:up to 100m above sea level

Facilitators: Heather Wildman & Sophie Kinnear

Funded by: QMS & Scottish Government withsupport from: DairyCo, QMS and RobertWiseman Dairies


FARM FACTS

effects of Johnes disease, SomaticCell Counts, mastitis and lameness.

“The herd has seen a reduction inJohnes disease and the rate ofinfection in younger animals is significantly lower. Herd replacements are only bred from negative animals and this will aid ourlong-term objectives,” says Sandy.

Carcary has recorded a significantreduction in Somatic Cell Scores andincidences of clinical mastitis. Cellcounts have been reduced from280,000 in December 2010 to thecurrent rolling level of 130,000.

The herd has continued to improvefrom the 2010 calving interval figureof 433 days and is currently runningat 416 days. Age at first-calving hasalso been reduced and heifers are nowentering the herd near the target levelof 24 months.

The previous average age at first-calving was 26.8 months and aconcerted effort to have heifers enterthe herd 60 days earlier, has helpedreduce feed and bedding costs as wellas labour and housing requirements.

Feet and legs concerns have beenreduced and this has helped toimprove conception-rates as well ashelp reduce herd calving interval andreplacement rate. Cows are coming

forward to oestrus-cycle earlier, aremore active, and therefore easier toobserve for heat-detection purposes.

Milking cows are fed a Total MixedRation (TMR) on a daily basis. Highyielding groups above 25 litres per dayreceive maintenance +40l; groupsbelow 25l are receiving maintenance+33l, with the herd currently averaging35.7kgs per day @ 3.75% fat.

19

e

th

MONITOR FARM ARABLE FARMERS

Since the launch meeting inFebruary 2011 the WhitsomeEast Newton Monitor Farm has

covered a range of business, financialand agronomy related topics.“Increasing the knowledge and understanding of precision farmingtechniques and tools has been a priority objective for both monitorfarmer Alistair Hodge and the community group members,” saysSAC facilitator Donald Dunbar.

To address this objective a dedicated precision farming meetingwas run to help get everyone’s understanding of the benefits that canbe gained from using precision farming equipment be it tractor &machine control, targeted agronomyor data management to the samelevel. The input from specialistspeakers and the community groupmembers own knowledge has givenAlistair the confidence to map all hisfields using electrical conductivityscanning.

“Using this technique has providedtwo agronomy benefits” said Alistair.“The first will allow us to apply lime,phosphate and potash where it isneeded rather than a blanketapproach. The second is the creationof field by field soil texture maps toallow variable seed rates to be used to

get even plant establishment, whichhas always been a challenge across ourvariable heavy soil.”

Investigating variable rate nitrogenapplication using satellite image sensing is a further precision farmingtechnique being investigated on a single wheat field this season. Theimages are used to create a green areaindex map which highlights the variation within the field. Early inthe season the low index (backward)areas are given additional nitrogen toencourage growth and improve croppotential. If these low index areas

Farmer: George & Andrew Booth

Farming: Savock Farm

Location: Foveran, Ellon, Aberdeenshire

Area: 344 ha (282ha owned)

Cattle: 300 store cattle finished

Crops: 218ha Combinable Crops:43.5ha Winter OSR (3.4t/ha)60.3ha W Barley (8t/ha)39.4ha W Oats (7.2t/ha)62.9ha W Wheat (8.4t/ha)18.4ha S Barley (6t/ha)52.6ha S Oats (5t/ha)68ha Grassland

Elevation: 100m above sea level

Facilitators: Jim Booth & Peter Cook

Funded by: HGCA & Skills DevelopmentProgramme

Started: May 2011

Other: Farm shop – ‘The Store’ –employs 22 staff, supplies 4 farmers markets, 3 Waitrose stores, local eateriesand mail order.

FARM FACTS

Looking at new grain storageoptions and investing in a newfertiliser spreader have been key

changes made by HGCA’s northernScottish Monitor Farmer since takingon the role in 2011.

Andrew Booth of Savock Farm,

Farmer: Alistair and John Hodge

Farming: Whitsome East Newton

Location: Duns, Berwick

Area: 156ha owned

Cattle: Contract Finish > 1000 Cattle

Crops: Winter Wheat 85 haOilseed Rape 30 haWinter Barley 28 haSpring Oats 11 haGrassland < 5ha

Elevation:60m above sea level

Facilitator: Donald Dunbar, SAC

Funded by:HGCA with support from the Scottish Government’s Skills Development Scheme

Started: 22 February 2011

FARM FACTS

Whitsome East Newton, Duns, Berwickshire

Savock Farm – Ellon, Aberdeenshire

don’t respond the later nitrogen applications are reduced to reflect thelower yield potential. The totalamount of nitrogen applied to thefield remains the same as if it wereconventionally spread however theapplication of this expensive input hasbeen more targeted.

The Arable Monitor Farm programme is funded by HGCA (thecereals and oilseeds division of theAgriculture and HorticultureDevelopment Board) with supportfrom the Scottish Government’sSkills Development Scheme.

Aberdeenshire was selected byHGCA following an open recruitmentdrive to be Monitor Farmers. Thethree year scheme, which is co-funded by the ScottishGovernment’s Skills Developmentprogramme, aims to help farmerscome together and make decisions, aswell as share advice and practicalknowledge.

Andrew decided to apply tobecome a HGCA Scottish MonitorFarmer after spotting an advert in thelocal paper. He felt he would benefitfrom the constructive feedback andideas generated by the Monitor FarmGroup, which meet six times a yearand is facilitated by Jim Booth fromthe Scottish Agricultural OrganisationSociety (SAOS).

He said: “There is an excellent calibre of people who are taking partin HGCA’s Monitor Farm scheme –coming back with constructive

criticism. We have a huge range ofpeople, experience and expertisecoming to the forefront with theyoungest being 25 to the oldest at 65.The best farmers are those who arewilling to change and grow and that iswhy being part of a Monitor Farm isso attractive.”

Andrew, who grows 324 hectaresof combinable crops and 300hd beefcattle on two farms, feels being partof a Monitor Farm has already helpedhim make one of his first big key decisions – with the fertiliser spreader.

He said: “The fertiliser spreader isalready 10 years old and we had todecide whether to get a contractor in,change it like for like or more importantly if we should be investingin new technology – in the end theMonitor Farm group helped medecide on something new, which hashelped me pull new technologytogether.”

ARABLE POTATOES / APPS

In the run up to Potato Week (1-7October 2012), Potato Council isturning to growers and farm shops

to help spread the message that thereis more to potatoes than meets the eye.

To coincide with the launch of itshigh profile consumer campaign thatwill highlight the taste, texture andversatility of potatoes, Potato Councilhas produced promotional and casestudy material to enable the industryto get involved.

For farm shops that sell direct tothe public, artwork and promotionalliterature is available that has beendesigned with the new potato classifications of ‘fluffy,’ ‘salad’ and‘smooth’ in mind. The marketingmaterial is supplied via a memorystick so that business managers canprint, customise and display theposters, shelf barkers and recipeleaflets as required. These can thenbe used to educate and inspire shoppers, helping to drive awarenessand, potential sales of named varieties.

Already putting the material togood use is Potato Ambassador for theEast of England Kevin Stokes.Through his farm shop, Kevin has trialled the point of sale and is keento demonstrate its practicality, simplicity and more importantly,interest to customers.

“This is a really exciting campaign,”Kevin says. “We’ve always promotedour different varieties but this classification brings further clarity tocustomers and gives us an opportunityto focus on the range of textures andtastes potatoes can deliver. The literature is easy to use and once ondisplay is bright, eye-catching andclear – our customers have found itvery informative and are keen to trythe recipes to taste the difference forthemselves.”

For growers and suppliers that donot have their own outlet, there aremany other ways to get involved inPotato Week and highlight key messages.

With younger consumers eatingfewer potatoes, a good place to startis showing children how they play avital role in our diets and are a good,local food. Schools are increasinglyinterested in learning about farmingand food production and welcomegrowers into the classroom.

To show how easy and rewardingthis can be, literature is available thatfollowed Mike Newling, PotatoAmbassador for East Anglia on hisfirst visit to a local primary school tohost a ‘Potato’ themed afternoon.Mike says: “This has to be one of themost worthwhile activities I havedone. The enthusiasm from the children and the teachers was secondto none and I felt I made a real difference in terms of how potatoesare viewed by the class. It was easyto arrange and I will definitely bemaking a date for a return visit inSeptember.”

Maria Ball, Potato Council corporate affairs manager said: “Thereis so much the industry can do to support Potato Week 2012 and helpdrive value. As well as producing display material, we have developedcase studies to demonstrate just howeasy it is to be involved – whether itis putting up a poster or engaging withchildren or a local organisation orhobby group. These are now availablefor other growers to download anduse as a reference tool from our website.”

Visit www.potato.org.uk/promotion/get-involved to find out more.

Potato Week

App from Agrovista

www.farmingscotland.com

Agrovista UK Ltd, the leadingagronomy specialist, crop protection and horticultural

product distributor has announced thelaunch of a new arable based app forgrowers and advisors.

Agrovista has developed the appfor arable users, which is available forAndroid now, I-Phone and a Windowsbased version will be available inSeptember.

The app is designed to help growers and advisors manage theirchemical stores, allow them to takefield notes and attach pictures, calculate nutrition and crop-removalvalues, calculate sowing rates, accessnews stories and provide a directoryof key Agrovista contacts and depots.

This aim is to provide an expandable platform that will see newfeatures and products added over time.

The store list has over 2400 official products from the officialCRD Pesticide list integrated into theapp and will allow you to keep an upto date list of products and quantitiesin chemical stores. Products can beadded to the list, the quantities edited and deleted once used. Thesestore lists can be exported, emailedand printed off for record keepingpurposes. Custom products can beadded to keep a list of every productin store.

The Notes section gives the abilityto add custom notes, whether it is fer-tiliser applications, agronomy notes,harvest dates etc they can be saved in

a list by date, you can even attach apicture from your phone camera ifyou want to note a particularfeature or problem area. Once yournotes are saved they can be emailedfrom the app for information orrecord keeping.

The calculator section has a myriadof useful tools for growers for use inthe field or office. ∑ Seed rates – Cereal and OilseedRape calculators∑ Fertiliser – Enter a specific N, P, K,S value and the quick reference chartwill show you the Kg/Ha nutrientsdelivered at a product application ratebetween 50 – 300 kg/ha. You canalso enter a custom spreading rate toview nutrients applied at a specificapplication rate.∑ Unit Converter – Weight, Volume,Distance, Yield are just some of theunits that can be converted from metric to imperial∑ Crop Removal – A very useful toolthat utilises the RB209 figures forcrop removals of P & K, easily selectyour crop and yield and you can seehow much nutrients that crop willremove

The news section links directly tothe Agrovista news feed on the website allowing you to keep up todate with the latest industry technicalnews and the contacts system helpsyou contact Agrovista depots, checkstock and source technical advicewherever you are.

The app is available free from theAgrovista website atwww.agrovista.co.uk

The ‘catch me when you can’ forage harvesting season we’vehad has resulted in considerable

damage to some fields. Unless rectified now this will cause numerous problems for next year’sproduction. But Barenbrug’s forageresearch and development managerDavid Long has some timely advicefor livestock farmers.

“Many grass fields have sufferedseverely from the very wet summer.The water-logged conditions delayedharvesting, leading to crops beingmuch bigger than normal, which inturn meant the land didn’t dry out.So when foraging was possible manyfields were cut up and severelytracked. The wet conditions also ledto many grazing fields being severelypoached and rutted.

“Left to their own devices or withthe ruts levelled out, fields will greenup, but with non-productive weedspecies like meadow-grass rather than

the productive species sown. And theresults of not repairing damage thisyear will show up in lack of production next year.

“Meadow grasses, which are naturally occurring in all grass swards,have a yield 50 percent less thanperennial ryegrass and a response toNitrogen of only 17 percent of ryegrass, so the normal reaction ofadding more fertiliser to boost yieldcan be a very expensive mistake.

“It is very easy to tell meadowgrass from more productive grasses; itwill grow in a very fine leaf clump andif it is pulled out it will come out easily, bringing a shallow root structure with it and the base of thestems will be very thin and off-white.Conversely, productive species likeryegrass and Timothy are very difficult to pull out and will usuallysnap rather than bringing their rootswith them. The base of a ryegrassstem usually has a reddish collar

around it and Timothy has an off-white bulbous base like a youngspring onion.

“Rather than let fields ‘green up’and live with the lost yields next year,renovating a sward is a cheaper andeasier alternative to a complete re-seed. To help we’ve produced aquick five steps to success guide.”

Barenbrug’s five steps to successfuloverseeding are:

1. Relieve any areas of compaction by using a grassland sub-soiler oraerator and level out any ruts.

2. Use a spring tine harrow to remove any dead stalks, thatch and shallow rooted weed grasses,make sure that the tines are working the top 1cm of the soil as this will create the seed bed for the new seeds.

3. Broadcast a specialist overseeding

mixture like Barforage Renew or Barmix Renew at a seed rate of 25kg/ha (10 kg/ ac). These mixtures use species that will establish rapidly, boost productionand help to smother weeds.

4. Roll the sward with a Cambridge roller to incorporate the seeds into the soil, or alternatively walk sheep, several times, across the reseeded area as their feet will do the same job.

5. Ideally graze the sward tightly for a couple of weeks following overseeding to minimise the competition to the seedlings.

David concludes: “Repairing thissummer’s damage now ensures production for next year and efficientuse of expensive fertilisers; don’t do itand you could be wondering wherenext year’s production is comingfrom.”

ARABLE GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

ActionNeeded

toMaintain

ProductiveGrassland

22

Making the Most of Arable Advice

ARABLE ADVICE


Scottish Agronomy is a farmer co-operative dedicated to supporting Scotland’s arable

farmers. The organisation has becomethe leading cereal trials companynorth of the border and uses theresults from trials that include everything from seed varieties, fertilisers and sprays to help producersoptimise their production methodsand improve their profitability. It’s anorganisation that utilises science andtechnology to explore latest developments and translates the findings into practical help for itsmembers.

MEMBERSWith over 200 farmer members

across the country farming approx. 50 000 ha of arable land betweenthem Scottish Agronomy membershiprepresents an estimated 40% of themedium/ large producers in Scotland.Forty of the farmer members havesigned up for one to one membershipand in addition to receiving regularinformation from the group, will meetwith their agronomist for half a dayper month to look at crops and planrotations, spraying programmes andchoose seed varieties. The remainingmajority of the members are signedup to group membership so willbelong to one of the 13 ScottishAgronomy groups that meet monthlyon a members farm. The day willconsist of hearing from one of thecompany’s three agronomists on thelatest developments and trials results,there will always be a farm walk toview the crops and a chance to talk toother farmers in the group about challenges and solutions.

Andrew Gilchrist is the managingdirector and has been with the co-opsince it was formed, Andrew says;

“It’s important that members whohost visits show off both the best andworst examples on their farm as manyvaluable lessons can be learned fromexamples of good practice but it’salways of benefit to discuss what mayhave gone wrong if a member has afield with a poor growth rate or anarea of disease challenge. Our members join as they have a desire tofine tune their operations, maximisetheir yields and eek out theirresources – they are switched onfarmers who are open to a variety ofnew agronomy techniques. Becauseof this we don’t spend the whole timedelivering lectures as members tell usthey find time spent discussing theirarable enterprise with other membersto be one of the most valuable aspectsof membership.”

Scottish Agronomy delivers theinformation and advice but do notsupply products – each farmer willweigh up the independent advice andsource the products direct from theirchosen suppliers. In recent yearssome groups have formed informalbuying partnerships to make savingson regularly bought inputs, othergroups have a nominated price co-ordinator who will check distributor prices of fertiliser andchemicals and share the informationwith their fellow members. It’s thekind of inside knowledge that canpush up the margin on a particularenterprise without any increase in yield.

TRIALSScottish Agronomy conduct

independent trials for farmer members, trials that are HGCA levyfunded and on behalf of their 26 corporate members, which includemost of the main players in the plantbreeding world and many leading

arable agricultural suppliers. The trialsside of the business has now overtakenthe advisory arm and accounts for60% of the business turnover.

This season over 20,000 plotsacross the trial sites were planted andthe team are working hard to makethe necessary assessments in the challenging weather conditions ofsummer 2012. Adam Christie is thetrials manager and has been with thecompany for 23 years, he explains; “Our trial sites are spread across theEastern side of Scotland and we lookfor good, even soil types, as we needto produce reliable results so limit thevariables as much as possible. All trialsites are based on members’ farmsand this is a real strength of the business. We’re here to help ourmembers become more efficient andare fortunate that when they host trials they help us to achieve thesegoals too. Despite all the brokenweather of this season and there being150 miles between our sites we’vehad hardly any wasted journeys thisyear.”

The equipment involved is all specialist kit with one of the seedersbeing specially commissioned for thegroup. Whilst the mini versions ofsprayers, spreaders and harvestersmay be a young boys dream, they represent an investment of half a million pounds over recent years. Abrand new Sampo combine harvesterfrom Finland is a recent addition andtakes the fleet up to seven.

Harvest commenced on 31st Julyand until it’s finished everyone getsinvolved, not all the combines have acab like the Sampo though so it’salways a race for these keys.

THE NEXT GENERATIONRetaining their unique model of

advisory service and adapting to meetthe needs of their members has seenthe group grow and develop to such apoint that is has outgrown it’s currentoffice and workshop at Arlary nearKinross.

The board, which is made up of 8farmer members and 4 staff, havevisions for the membership to growfurther. Andrew explains, “As a cooperative we are a member of theScottish Agricultural OrganisationSociety (SAOS), they support farmerco-ops and foster industry collaboration.SAOS recently helped us to conduct aboard health check and businessanalysis on the group. We’ve nowdeveloped a plan that will guide usthrough the next few years.

Both Andrew and Adam recognisethe vital part the next generation willplay in this and are excited that theycan offer graduate vacancies and apath of progression within the group.They are also keen to attract youngfarmers, who are becoming involvedin the management of the family farmand have joined up with YoungFarmers clubs to highlight what’savailable from Scottish Agronomy.Adam says that the agricultural industry has shown great resilienceduring this recession and with theworlds growing demand for food setto continue it’s an industry that youngpeople can look to enter for a rewarding career. Andrew says; “Ourcurrent location is a fantastic base ingeographical terms – we have greatmotorway access but the existingpremises is just not big enough tocope anymore. We’re hopeful this canbe resolved soon and we can then provide a secure stable base for thefuture of the group and ensure ourstaff enjoy the great working environment they deserve.”

by Fiona Turnbullphotos by

Rebecca Lee

23

∑ • Established in 1985 as a farmer co-operative∑ • Based at Arlary near Kinross∑ • 13 permanent staff plus seasonal help∑ • 200 farmer members∑ • 3 main trial sites in Aberdeenshire, Fife and The Borders∑ • Aims – to produce, gather and disseminate technical information

solely for member benefits


Allan Myles runs an agricultural contracting business from Claremont Farm,by Strathkinness, Fife. With a well-developed fleet of machinery that carriesout everything from ploughing to harvesting across North East Fife, the business employs 3 full time men with seasonal help when required.

ARABLE CONTRACTING

BUILDING THE BUSINESS

Starting a contracting businessfrom scratch at the age of 23,Allan hired his first tractor and

plough and started to build up a customer base, which grew to servenearly 200 farmers but now carriesout contracting for about 100.

Allan says; “In 1979 there werelots of farmers in this area and mostreared 50-100 head of fattening cattleon their arable farms so I picked upploughing work in winter and when alocal contractor retired I jumped atthe chance to buy his barrel dungspreader and grass seed machinery.

“As I became better known Imoved into silage work too. In orderto build a good reputation I cut andbaled lots of wee fields of grass, oftenon farms scattered across the regionand miles away from home.”

By the time Oil Seed Rape hadbecome a popular new crop, Allanhad spotted an opportunity to swaththis for his existing and new customers and from 1987 onwardsthis side of the business grew rapidly– at it’s peak he was co-ordinating 4swathers to swath 4000 acres of rapewithin two weeks. It’s not surprisinghe says that one of his daughterswrote in her schoolbook that shethought, “Daddy was an Owl”because she only saw him at night!

The contracting has always beenbased at Claremont, the farm thatwas tenanted by his wife, Isabel’s

family. When the opportunity arosein 1994 to purchase Claremont,Isabel and Andrew took on the challenge and were successful in buying the 450-acre farm. Since thenthis side of the business has taken ontwo contract farming arrangements,

Isabel comments “We’ve alwayslooked out for new opportunities andtried to adapt to the changes aroundus, contract farming has proved to bea rewarding change of direction, weenjoy looking after the land all yearround.”

MAKING IT WORKAsking what he attributes to the

success of the contracting business,Allan is quick to highlight the contribution made by his staff.

“We’ve got really good men” hesays. “We operate a one man onemachine policy and the guys treat thekit like their own, they carry out theirown servicing and take care to checkover the machinery every morning.”

The staff have over 36 years ofservice between them and are up todate with the latest technology andelectronics that is now part of theirjob. Allan adds; “Everyone here ispassionate about farm machinery, theytake pride in cleaning and maintainingtheir tractors and equipment and theydon’t think twice about working to11pm or midnight to beat the weather.”

Seasonality can be a challenge for abusiness responsible for full time staffall year round but Allan reckons the

diverse range of contracting that thebusiness now carries out has helpedto alleviate this. The contracting calendar runs from February toNovember with tractors andmachines out working in fields acrossFife for all of this time. The teamploughs over 3000 acres and sowsabout 2000 acres between spring andautumn; three Grimme stone separators then support potato-plant-ing preparations during May beforesilage making starts.

Hesston square balers are popularin the area, which produces a lot ofvegetables as the straw in this bigsquare bale is perfect for insulatingcarrots so two of these will baleapproximately 12 000 bales a season.

Reflecting the dispersal of livestock in their area, they no longerown dung spreaders. That leavesDecember and January for the majorservicing work and during any quiettimes everyone gets stuck intodrainage at home or on the contractfarming land.

It seems there is never a dullmoment and organisation is now a fulltime role for Allan, this part he says,“was revolutionised by mobilephones.” As a member of Tayforthmachinery ring since it was formedand currently serving as a director thering is another source of organisationalsupport. Talking to his customersdaily and being able to sort out theirrequests means the mobile phone isalways in his boiler suit pocket.

Before mobiles he spent about 2hours every evening on the phone atthe kitchen table, often facing a colddinner as it was impossible to fit ineating between the volume of calls.

The ease of mobile communicationis now vital, as Mother Nature has positioned herself as the most challenging part of the management inrecent years. Allan comments; “The prolonged periods of wet weather that prevail across the country mean the whole farmingindustry is suffering. Wet conditionsslow down the work rate and increasethe wear and tear on machines; wesee fewer drier spells and can’t bankon the next day to be a dry one.This means there is a massive workload on everyone when the suncomes out. We’ve had dual wheels onthe combines for a few years and serious consideration will be given toa combine with tracks when the NewHolland 8060 is due for renewal.”

LESSONS TO LEARNThirty three years after hiring his

first tractor, Allan continues to relishrunning both contract enterprises. Ayoung person, who may be looking toset out on a similar path may see theprice of agricultural land and machinery as a barrier to entry. Thelessons to be learnt from Allan andIsabel are: grasp opportunities, be flexible, determined and work hard toget results.

Farmer: Andrew & Isabel Myles

Farming: Claremont Farm

Location: Strathkinness, Fife

Area: 450 acres owned1200 acres contract farmed

Crops: OSR W Barley W WheatS Barley

Elevation: 100m above sea level

Other income: Agricultural Contractorsince 1979

Labour: Three full time staff:Charles DawsonDavid YoungAndrew Gardner

Willie Methven returns every year to drivea combine, Stuart Paterson has helped atharvest for 4 years and Jamie Chalmersis a student who is helping out for the firsttime this year.

BUSINESS FACTS

25

ARABLE CONTRACTING

IN ALLAN’S SHED

Canny Contracting at Claremont

by Fiona Turnbull

photos byRebecca Lee

2 x NH combines, 8070, 8060 2 x MF's over 200hp2 x 5 furrow Kvernland ploughs3 x lemken 4m one pass seedersNew Holland balerMcHale Wrapper2 x Heston balersJF forage harvestersJD mowers3 x Grimme stone separators

26

MACHINERY NEW HOLLAND

New Holland

Completes First

Delivery of a Fleet of

Over 100 Machines

in Georgia

New Holland Agriculture – aglobal manufacturer and sellerof agricultural equipment and

part of CNH – with its distributorGT Group Ltd., recently delivered 12combine harvesters to the GeorgianMinistry of Agriculture as part of alarger purchase program. The company will ultimately supply theMinistry with a total of 92 tractorsand 25 combine harvesters, complemented by 50 grain and maizeheaders, 25 sunflower header kits and22 dozer blades.

The first twelve TC5070 combineharvesters fitted with 17-foot grainheaders were handed over toMeqanizatori LLC, the Ministry ofAgriculture’s farming mechanizationservice provider. The machines, builtat New Holland’s manufacturing plantin Plock, Poland, are the first units ofthe entire program to be deliveredand are ready to start harvestingaround the country.

These first units will be joined bythirteen more combines and sixty-seven T6000 Series units fromthe New Holland plant in Basildon,UK, which will supply the majority ofthe tractors. Twenty-two TK4060crawler tractors built in New Holland’sspecialty tractor plant in Jesi, Italy,and three high horsepower T8.390tractors made in Racine, USA willalso be provided.

As part of CNH, each NewHolland plant is dedicated to specificproduct families. This means thateach facility has developed specializedtechnical and manufacturing expertise

to achieve the highest levels of qualityin its products in order to fully meeteach of its customer's requirements.

These 117 machines will be usedby Meqanizatori to provide service tofarmers in all regions of Georgia withready-to-use equipment featuring themost advanced technology. The wideselection of models and attachmentsin this new fleet will enableMeqanizatori to deliver a broaderrange of services in order to efficientlycover a large variety of farming applications. The 101-horsepowerTK4060 crawler tractors – the first tobe sold in Georgia – are ideal forworking on slopes too steep forwheeled tractors and with 88 PTOhp, rise to the challenge of big tillageand PTO applications. The longwheelbase 340-horsepower T8.390sare built to perform in heavy applications and are very well suitedto secondary cultivation, drilling, topdressing and transport. The T6000Series, which ranges between 112 and165 horsepower, is a natural choicefor livestock, arable applications or forcontractors.

New Holland, with GT Group’sservice technicians, has started training for over 230 operators in thecountry on product use and maintenance to ensure the farmerswill get the best performance fromthese machines.

New Holland has been present inGeorgia for more than a decade. Thecompany has developed extensiveexperience and know-how regardinglocal farming needs and, along with its


distributor GT Group, has supported the Georgian government since the delivery of its first large fleet of122 tractors and 25 combine harvesters to Meqanizatoriin 2010.

New Holland offered Meqanizatori a competitive 6-year financing package at attractive rates. This was madepossible through the support of ECGD, the UK ExportCredit Agency, which saw the significance of this projectfor New Holland’s UK-based manufacturing plant.


Iwas just about to start this articlewith a quick line about the weather, but no this is going to be

a positive article, so a brief runthrough of what we have been up toin the past few months is the plan.

Our year started with a big – oncein a lifetime – trip to New Zealand.We returned home in mid-Januaryand life has been a blur since then.There were times that Fiona and Iquestioned our sanity taking fouryoung children: (James (10), Izzy (8),Lexie (6) and Archie (4)) to the otherside of the world but our logic was asfollows. We had been invited to awedding, which gave us an excuse, thekids were at an age where school wasflexible and transportation for themwas only going to get dearer so following months of discussion and acouple of glasses of NZ Sauv Blanc,we pressed the button and bookedthe tickets.

That was the easy part, but withhelp from Mr Mastercard and loads offriends and family we had a great tripand came home well rested andinspired by some very able committedfarmers that we met on our travels.

I couldn’t help but notice howkeen and motivated New Zealand’syounger farmers were, these guyswere passionate about the industryand determined to progress up theladder no matter which rung theyfound themselves starting on.One of the main differences that Ifound between NZ and the UK wasthat youngsters (realise I might bestarting to sound like an old dufferbut I’m still the right side of 40thanks) were actively encouraged byparents to follow their hearts and pursue their farming dreams.

How often have you heard whilstreferring to their son or daughter afriend or neighbour or even said ityourself, “I wouldn’t mind if they gofarming but I’d rather they do something else first, just in case itdoesn’t work out.” This attitude hasgot to change if kids show the slightest interest in farming, whetherthey are from farming stock or not.

They should be given every encouragement. If we are to meetthe worlds growing demand for foodwe need the best there is and where better to look than on our doorstep?

As farmers we have a key role inpromoting agriculture in our localcommunities, this coupled with acoordinated approach by educationalinstitutions such as the SAC and thelikes of the NFU, RHET and QMSwill set us on the right track ensuringthat we have people at all levels whowill collectively drive our industryforward.

Speaking of youth, by the time youread this we will have two newemployees, Calum Sutherland is joining us in early September and willmainly focus on livestock whilst JimMaclean has joined the team on a self-employed basis, he will concentrate on our area of weakness –machinery and maintenance.

Extra pairs of hands should allowus to become more efficient, in theory I may even get on top of theoffice work whilst enjoying a littlemore time off, working seven days aweek is ok for a short spell but beforeyou know realise, it can become habit.

Our lamb selling season is wellunder way, over 800 have left thefarm to average around 20kg. All ofthem have been sold to WoodheadBros in Turriff, and most of our castewes have also been sold, freeing upgrass for the autumn.

We have tagged 400 ewe lambs forretention to date and will select morefrom our late May lambing flock atweaning, we will need more than everthis year as we have taken on an extra300 acres of grass which will allowthe flock to expand.

This suits us as we find sheep to bethe most profitable enterprise that wehave per acre, it also suits our mindset, we as a family are more inclinedtowards stock. I think it is genetic,James, now 10, is daft about sheep –a good trait to have.

His small Beltex flock has had adecent run at the summer showspicking up two breed championships,

an interbreed at Nairn and an interbreed – best from Ross – at theBlack Isle. It is great attending localshows and we’ve found it to be a useful way of promoting our ‘GREATFROM GRASS’ ram sale which washeld on farm in August.

Cow numbers remain around the100 mark with Shorthorn numberssteadily increasing within that figure.Bull sales have been good so far thisyear with all two year olds sold by theend of May and interest now beingshown in yearlings. Cow numbers arelikely to rise next year as more heiferswill be retained as recipients forembryos that are being brought infrom NZ.While we were on our trip

we discovered that Austin’sShorthorns were dispersing in Marchand we subsequently bought a fewcows for flushing with a view tobringing home some new genetics..It’s a long term thing; we don’texpect calves on the ground untilspring 2014. It’s going to be a busyyear, the World Sheepdog Trials arecoming to Fearn in September thatyear following on from the international that we hosted last year.These kind of events don’t comearound often, it’s great for Scotland,the Highlands and Scottish Aagriculture, we certainly enjoy people visiting the farm and it doesn’thalf make you tidy up!

AROUND THE REGIONS EASTER ROSS

John ScottFearn Farm

Tain

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30

What a summer….or shouldthat be when was the summer!? But you will have

been alright because you have poly-tunnels! If I had a pound formall those that said that to me I wouldhave no worries. The lack of sun hashad a big effect on everything andeverybody, all in all it has been quite adepressing summer, the last thing thecountry needed during a double dipdepression!

However, just look further afieldto countries with drought conditions,puts all of our problems into perspective. All in all we have a pretty good growing climate in theUK, yes we have had to adapt but Ithink I would rather have too muchwater than not enough. Yes, fruitfarmers have adapted to the climateby using poly-tunnels, however theydo not help sales. Strawberry salesare driven very much by sunshine andnot by discounting as the supermarketswould believe. At the start of Julyour sales were down by the equivalentof us writing off 5 acres of barleyevery day; hate to think how the bigboys have got on! Still a few days ofsunshine and the Olympic Gameshave given everyone something different to think about.

Although turnover has been backthis year we are still very much seeingan upward trend towards demand forlocal foods. It is very slow but I thinkthe housewife is starting to realisethat perhaps she isn’t getting as gooda deal at her local supermarket.There has been a lot in the pressabout the plight of the dairy farmer;there is a lot of public support for thedairy farmer and we really need tokeep this pressure on so that thesupermarkets are exposed for whatthey really are.

I read with great interest the Tesco

job spec for a buyer, exposed byNFUS, if you missed it here is anextract –

“You will also be responsible forensuring your chosen suppliers tradeethically and that you achieve yoursavings/income Target through the 4ways of buying: • Buy for Less • Someone Else Pays • Use Less • Re-Engineer

I could think of an appropriate fiveletter word that would replace thefour ways detailed above (answers ona postcard….). It would be great tosee what the job spec for an employeeworking on the customer service frontwould be? Perhaps it is the same with‘buy for less’ replaced with ‘sell formore’ and so on.

It really puts the farmer in a difficult position because the supermarkets are our biggest customer but they need us as much aswe need them. I can remember whena lot of our business was done ontrust, something that just doesn’t happen now. How do we move thingsforward when supermarkets areactively employing buyers with theabove un-ethical practices? I am justglad that I do not depend on them formy income.

Enough of my moans at the weather and supermarkets! FarmRetail – what a success story inScotland. Earlier this year I helpedorganise the National Farm RetailersConference in Edinburgh. This threeday conference was attended byaround 400 delegates from the lengthand breadth of the UK. This conference was last held in Scotlandnine years ago, when we struggled tofind enough farm shops to fill thetours, this time we had to leave somany out of the tours! Candidates

who had come to both conferences inScotland were blown away by theprogress in such a short space of time.There was also a lot of envy for thesupport we get from The ScottishGovernment. Scottish Agriculturehas a lot to be proud of, there hasbeen a lot of change in the last 10years and we have adapted to changewell. What will the next 10 yearsbring? I suspect there will be a lot ofchange and there is no doubt we willembrace any change. Just be ready tosay ‘I told you so’ when the consumerwonders why they can’t buy UK milkor pork.

What is on the cards for Craigie’sin the next year? We are currentlydrawing breath and I am putting allmy new management skills I pickedup on the Rural Leadership Programinto practice. So if I have any staffleft we are planning to improve ouranimal attractions on the farm, notjust a petting area but an educationarea so that our customers can seehow their food is produced.

We are also developing our PYOside of the business; in the last 10

years we have seen six PYO farmsclose their gates around Edinburgh.We see this as an opportunity todevelop and build. The key is tounderstand why PYO has found it sotough. The way I see it is that 20years ago the customer was pickingfruit to fill the freezer or make jam,now the customer sees it as a leisureactivity and the fruit picked is a by-product of this activity. We introduced an entry charge this yearand in order to protect our seriouspickers we made this chargeredeemable against any fruit picked.We still have to crunch the figures butit has been a great success, yes wehave had complaints but mainly fromthe customers we only see once ayear. On our peak days in the summer we see over 2000 visitors aday (when the sun shines), if only0.25% of them complain I reckon weare probably not charging enough forcustomers to enter and enjoy ourfarm. Next year we will have cherries, more raspberries and someapples for our customers to enjoy, justgot to organise that sunshine!


AROUND THE REGIONS LOTHIAN

John SinclairWest Craigie

South Queensferry

Skye in Autumn

32

The long-drawn-out struggle ofhay and harvest has at lastdrawn to a close. On the

whole, it can be described as a successful close, but also, assuredly, itis no exaggeration to call it a struggle.Looking up a record of work, I seethat ryegrass cut on the 1st and 5thJuly was in coils by the 3rd and 8th,but not stacked for lack of weatheruntil the 4th and 6th of August.

It has been a aremarkable seasonfor grass, and the hay crop is exceptionally heavy. Oats, whichwere a good crop, cut with us at atthe end of August and the beginningof September, were not stacked forlack of weather till 1st and 3rdOctober. That is admittedly, an individual record only where therewas quite a number of people working. In other places where thereis a man alone or with very little help,harvesting becomes still more difficult.

I went round a large part of theisland in the first week of Octoberand was surprised to see how much ofthe harvest was still out, and even inone or two places on the west oatswere still standing. But where a manis doing both hill-work and arable it isunderstandable. Gathering and goingto distant markets cut in on a man’stime and the sales may, and probablydo, coincide with very few good drying days, which come this way.This is certainly one reason forregarding the grading centre at Kyle ofLochalsh with favour. A man will notlose so many working days over grading at Kyle as he must if he has toreach Dingwall or Inverness, the nearest markets.

Taking it all in all, though broken,the weather was not very wet. In themiddle of August there was nearly aweek of good weather. This theweather forecast described as

“showers and fair periods,” thus causing the utmost alarm to hay-makers when actually there wasno need! “They cannot,” we said, shaking our heads indulgently, “beright for every place.” So we decidednot to listen to the forecasts but toget on with the job. September wasalso very broken, and cutting oatswhile wearing waterproof leggings wasthe order of the day. In the middle ofthe month came several good days,but but on the 24th and 25th therecame two days of very heavy rainwhich made the corn lie.

STOCK PRICESCattle sales were held in the

middle of September, and the pricesrealised were the highest yet. We hadthis year before the sales buyers coming up to make private bargains,and they took a great deal of stockwhich would otherwise have comeout at the local sales, and took themaway at a price too favourable tothemselves for the auction martprices ranged from £50 to £60 for anexceptionally good beast. The onlydifficulty small holders had was not inselling at a good price, but at finding abeast or two for the wintering. Withwintering so plentiful – for the haycrop was an exceptionally heavy oneit is probable that there will be astrong local demand for winterers atthe last sales of the season.

Lambs have done very well, grading at 70s to 75s, while one lot,which graded late in the season made85s, but that is leaving lambs ratherlong on their mothers. Cast ewes arenow selling well at 84s and thereabouts but as any housewifewould say, they would need to withprices all soaring.

LOCAL SHOWSKilmuir Show was cancelled this

year because of trouble over attestedand non-attested cattle, which could

not be allowed to mix. This was adisappointment to many a good fromKilmuir as the show has always been afavourite one and very well run. Letus hope that by next summer all thecattle will have been attested. TheDunvegan Show was held in Augustand was lucky enough to fall on agood day. Here again the number ofcattle was smaller as the entries wereconfined to attested animals. Sheepwere numerous but horses alas werevery disappointing. The ChallengeShield, presented by Flora, MrsMacLeod of MacLeod, was won byMr Roderick Nicolson, Struanmore,with a beautiful grey mare. But itlooks as if we should soon have topresent prizes for tractors rather thanfor horses as the former bid fair todrive the others out of existance!

A FARM SCHOOLI was shown overr a school a short

time ago in Ross-shire. BalmacaraSchool is run on a farm, and here thepupils, aged about 14, while learningthe usual subjects – English, mathsand science etc. – also do practicalwork on the farm, joining in hay making, stock-rearing, and landreclaimation. The boys run the poultry side of the farm themselves.It is I am convinced a great step forward when the practical side of lifeis given an honoured place with thetheoretical. Too often in the past agriculture has been looked upon asthe Cinderellas of all occupations.But as it happened in the fairytale, soit is now with farming. Cinderella isbecoming the most important personat the ball. Farming is now so closelyknit to science and to engineering thata lad, far from being backward, mustbe well equipped with brain and handto do well in such work today. In 150years of industrial revolution, thewheel had come full circle, and weare now back to the all-importantland, which was so long neglected forthe lure of the town and a white collar job. We need more schools likethis one at Balmacara to train landworkers. We could do with one atleast, if not more, in every county inScotland.

SIXTY YEARS AGO MARGARET H MACPHERSON


by Margaret HMacPherson

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33

Fyall’s Focus

The French have a phrase “ilpleut.” In schoolboy Frenchthis means “it is raining,” but

amongst many French (particularlyrural dwellers I hear) it takes on farmore meaning. The Urban Dictionarydefines “As a verb, often used todescribe a sad, bored, or generallynegative state – although it can sometimes hold absolutely no meaningand just be a pointless comment.”

Il Pleut indeed. This would be themost common, indeed the only phraseamongst Scots farmers this year hadNapolean conquered Europe. Afterseveral vain attempts to make hay Ihave only the same amount of silageas last year and no hay, therefore onethird less bales than last year overall.We put the last field in a bag becauseI was not brave enough to leave haywhilst I visited the Black Isle show(which once again proved an excellent2 days in the Highlands). I still go upNorth to sheep sales in the back end,but this year it barely feels like I havesaid goodbye in 2011 than I am backagain in 2012. The year does not feelcompleted without a summer, eventhough the last three years have set alow bar for ‘summer.’ That said,sheep are not a disaster, with lambsdoing better in this weather than

cattle it seems and the trade thoughnot quite last years, is holding up inthe face of a strong pound and somestore buyers are facing a grass shortage.

Proving our contrary climate in thislast 3 years, some West Coast producers complain of near drought,which will also mean they are on thehunt for forage at affordable prices.

We managed to get the sheepclipped, though a little later than Iwould have liked for the 160 (topquality Hill!) Northie Cheviots I willbe selling as gimmers. All sheep havecome through without the maggots oflast year, and only in recent weeks hasany lameness been seen, and so farcows and calves are growing away andcows settled to bull. Even the crop isokay, I could not get contractors formy small acreage of Belinda (SwedishOats) so they were sown well intoMay, and despite being in 1st yrOrganic Conversion and having noinputs, they are looking well. I thinkthey have caught the recent heat onthe flagleaf at the right stage so benefit the accidental late sowing,now fingers crossed they ripen beforethe snow!!!!! So maybe it isn’t all badnews.

We will know better possibly bythe time this magazine is distributed

by John Fyall

Single Farm Payment for New Entrants

FYALL’S FOCUS SINGLE FARM PAYMENT

how the mood is in New Entrants.Richard Lochhead is holding a NewEntrant summit on the 12thSeptember, and I dearly hope somegood will come of it rather than morelip-service. Despite all the new measures of interest rate relief, SACadvice, Business Reviews, Start upunits... the main thing, and mostimportant thing to New Entrants isaccess to the same conditions as existing businesses, and this meansPillar 1 SFP. Currently a businesswith no SFP has to find an extra £700a week compared to the average subsidised Scottish farm business! Anational reserve is not the answer, asit may help new entrants, but willpenalise all other producers by topslicing those trying to grow businesses as well as those doingnothing. We do not want specialtreatment, we want equal treatment.Now it looks like further delays inimplementing CAP reform past 2013,and the industry apparently is lookingfor a longer gradual phase-in fromHistoric Payment. This will be anadministrative nightmare and willpenalise as many as it helps. Only theSlipper farmer will truly win.

What we need is a new systemimmediately that captures all those

managing land in a positive fashion.Any active business doing the same ormore than in 2003 should not beafraid of change. Instead of protectingan unjustifiable system, we shouldwork together to ensure the new system is the fairest one, because asproduction slips around the country,there must surely be extra money forthose still pushing their business.Hundreds of Thousands of NakedAcres are there to be won back bythose farming the ground now, and letus not allow people to try and defendthose acres, as they are choking theindustry. The feeling amongst theindustries new blood is definitely “ilpleut” every time we go to the market, every time we meet the bankmanager, every time rent is due, whena machine unexpectedly breaks or animals require medication; noamount of political tinkering aroundthe edges will change this harsh reality and indeed only increases thefrustration.

Instead of defending the indefensible,let us work to try and get that PILLAR 1 money back into the pockets of those who the CAPintended it for, the people who feedthe taxpayer from EVERY acre theyhave.


Fancy Dress on Horseback – New Galloway Show

What’s ina Name?

RURAL ROUND-UP FARM NAMES

34

Coming from Skye I’ve alwaysbeen aware of Gaelic placenames. The word ‘achadh’ –

field – comes up in many communitiesacross the Highlands, in names offarms, villages and townships. A fineexample is Achadhchork just outsidePortree, which translates to – field ofcorn. (although there is no letter ‘k’ inGaelic).

Since moving to South WestScotland I’ve found the word ‘auchen’crops up often as a prefix to manyfarm names. With a bit of researchI’ve found it also comes from theGaelic, meaning ‘field.’

The South West, Aberdeenshireand Highland areas all have numerousproperties with these prefixes. Frommy database I’ve counted 30 inDumfries and Galloway, 26 inAberdeenshire, 13 in Argyll, 13 inAyrshire, 8 in the Glasgow area, 35 inHighland region, 4 in Lanarkshire, 9 inTayside and 1 each in Fife andLothian. None cropped in theBorders, Orkney or Shetland.

In some areas the prefix is ‘auch’or ‘acha.’ For each area I’ll list someof the names I’ve come across andwhat they mean.

DUMFRIESSHIRE

Auchleach achadh laogh calves’ fieldAuchenvey achadh na heith birch fieldAuchenleck achadh na leac field of flagstonesAuchenhill achadh na chuill field of the wood

ABERDEENSHIRE

Auchencreive achadh na craebh field of trees

HIGHLAND

Auchness each inis horse pastureAchnamoine achadh ma moine field of peat

I’ve always been fascinated with farmnames and what they may mean

35

Photography Competition

SHOW TIME

RURAL ROUND-UP COMPETITION

Have you snapped any quality shots at thesummer shows this year, on in previousyears? If so e-mail them to

[email protected] by the 20thSeptember. The winning photographs will beprinted in the October issue of FarmingCountry, with the best four receiving a prize.

farmingscotland.com issue 86

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