Join us as we tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time—the biodiversity and climate crises—and explore the crucial role agriculture plays in addressing them. We delve into what these crises are, how they’re interconnected, and the efforts underway to combat them. In this episode, we’re joined by Prof. Dave Reay and Séamus Murphy, who…

Thrill of the Hill returns for season 5, with an exciting line-up on new and returning guest speakers and specialists in their fields and on their hills. Technology is always progressing, and the same is true in the uplands. New innovations mean it has never been easier to collect, measure and interpret data for the benefit of farming, nature and c…

Welcome back to the Rural Round-up. This show is produced in association with the Scottish Government. On today’s episode, we’re joined by George Chalmers & Tiffany Stephenson who discuss all relevant schemes and deadlines, and look ahead to Christmas in the Farming Community. FAS Resources Mental Health and Wellbeing | Information helping farmers …

In this episode Tiffany Stephenson is joined by Borders Farmer Neil Ramsay along with Prof Roger Sylvester-Bradley, Principal Research Scientist and Head of Crop Performance at ADAS; to discuss grain analysis and the benefits it can have when tailoring nutrition. Welcome to Cropcast, your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops…

Welcome to In Conversation With… hosted this month by Mark Bowsher-Gibbs (Principal Consultant) and Kirsten Williams (Senior Sheep and Beef Consultant). On today’s episode Mark and Kirsten reflect on their highlights from 2024 and are joined by David Ross (Principal Consultant, SAC Consulting) to discuss integrating livestock and arable. They explo…

Along with our regular monthly updates on policy briefs, arable, beef, sheep and milk, in this edition we are also bringing you sector overviews The Trump Effect and HerdPlan. We will also be bringing you news on Calving Intervals and Carbon & Biodiversity credits. Show Notes 00:39 News in Brief 02:30 Policy Briefs – Preparing for sustainable farmi…

Mary-Jane Lawrie is joined by Kenneth Bone from Glenkiln Farm on the Isle of Arran. Kenneth Bone farms Glenkiln Farm on the Isle of Arran with his family. They won the Diversified Farm of the year award at last year’s Scottish Agriculture Awards, as well as taking home the Champion of Champions trophy. The business has an impressive portfolio, from…

In this podcast we hear from Bruce Wyper, Stockperson at SRUC Easter Howgate. He talks about some of the projects have been going on at Easter Howgate including GreenCow and Green Shed. He also discusses the move to running the herd more commercially than it has been previously although it is still a farm used for research projects. He talks about …

In this podcast we hear from Jan Vos, Agronomist from Agrovista & Lorna Galloway SAC Consultant from SAC Stranraer Office. They talk about soil health, agronomy, and sustainable practices to get the desired outcome – healthy crops and effective weed management. They also talk about the best way to establish and keep clover in the sward and a clover…

Fungi, the often-overlooked kingdom of life, runs mostly undetected under out feet, forming intricate networks that support ecosystems in extraordinary ways. Mycorrhiza, a symbiotic relationship where fungi connect with plant roots, enables plants to absorb more water and nutrients in exchange for energy the plant obtains from sunlight. Rhizocore T…

Thrill of the Hill returns for season 5, with an exciting line-up on new and returning guest speakers and specialists in their fields and on their hills. Love them or hate them, geese are a recurring feature on farms across Scotland. Views differ on the benefits of having them, some see them as a pest species, others as a necessary component of a l…

Welcome to In Conversation With… hosted this month by Senior Sheep and Beef Consultant Kirsten Williams. On today’s episode Kirsten is joined by Willie Budge (Senior Consultant, SAC Consulting) and Kythe Mackenzie (Veterinary Investigation Officer, SRUC). They will discuss trends from the year, what’s coming into the labs, tips on preparing for she…

Welcome back to the Rural Round-up. This show is produced in association with the Scottish Government. On today’s episode, we’re joined by Sascha Grierson, Principal Consultant & Agri-Economics lead at SAC Consulting and Andrew Coalter Senior Consultant & Chartered Accountant at SAC Consulting who discuss the implications of the Autumn Budget for t…

In this episode Tiffany Stephenson is joined by Angus Farmer & Managing Director of Soil Essentials, Jim Wilson to discuss soil health and the types of tests arable farmers should be considering. Welcome to CropCast, your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops. Each month, SAC advisor, Tiffany Stephenson will be joined by a ra…

Listener Advisory Note : This episode contains a mention of suicide, please listen with care. Mary-Jane Lawrie is joined by joined by Jim Chapman, farmer and farm safety ambassador. Jim talks openly about the farm accident that changed his life when he lost his arm in a PTO shaft. He talks about the impact that had on him, and how he got through th…

Mary-Jane Lawrie is joined by Stephanie Berkeley from the Farm Safety Foundation Stephanie Berkeley is Manager of the Farm Safety Foundation, which you might know also as Yellow Wellies. The Farm Safety Foundation was established in 2014 with the aim of improving farm safety in the UK. The Foundation runs successful campaigns such as Farm Safety we…

Along with our regular monthly updates on policy briefs, arable, beef, sheep and milk, in this edition we are also bringing you sector overviews on finding the right advisor and farming with extreme weather. We will also be bringing you news on homegrown proteins and biodiversity and the Whole Farm Plan. Show Notes 00:44 News in Brief 02:47 Policy …

Many aspire to having and working a croft, however crofts are difficult to obtain, at least in the more productive and scenic areas. At the same time, retiring crofters sometimes find it hard to give up their business, their source of income and home. The Scottish Land Matching Service is designed to help aspiring new producers, whether crofters or…

We are joined by Jonathan Morley from Pivotal, to discuss the importance of robust, reliable and verifiable data and how digital biodiversity monitoring is part of this. Pivotal are a biodiversity monitoring and analytics company working with a range of Natural Capital managers, funds and organisations across the world, providing data from both the…

Thrill of the Hill returns for season 5, with an exciting line-up on new and returning guest speakers and specialists in their fields and on their hills. As climate change, biodiversity decline and food security continue to build in our collective consciousnesses the drive to find a comprehensive solution intensifies. In this episode, Chris Clark f…

Welcome back to the Rural Round-up. This show is produced in association with the Scottish Government. On today’s episode, Farm Advisors Tiffany, George and Robert give us the latest agricultural updates from around Scotland, and are then joined by Professor Steven Thomson, Professor of Agricultural Economics and Policy at SRUC to discuss the lates…

In this episode Tiffany Stephenson is joined by Dr Ruth Wade and Professor Pippa Chapman from the University of Leeds, along with Dr Joseph Martlew from NIAB, to discuss Regenerative Agriculture and the trials which have been taking place in Yorkshire. Welcome to CropCast, your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops. Each mont…

Welcome to the October episode of In Conversation With… hosted this month by Principal Consultant Mark Bowsher-Gibbs. On today’s episode Mark is joined by Sebastien Mallet, CEO at ODA (Offre & Demande Agricole). They discuss the UK and European harvest, how UK grain prices have changed and what drives price change, the best time to sell into the ma…

Along with our regular monthly updates on policy briefs, arable, beef, sheep and milk, in this edition we are also bringing you sector overviews on biomass and bale grazing cattle. We will also be bringing you news on forage and feed budgeting and heating rural housing. Show Notes 00:44 News in Brief 03:04 Policy Briefs – Climate Change Bill Publis…

In this episode, Mary-Jane Lawrie is joined by Cathy Magee from Dyslexia Scotland. Cathy Magee is the chief executive of Dyslexia Scotland. We talked about what dyslexia is, how it can affect you, and how to go about getting an assessment. Dyslexia Scotland have a range of resources available to support people with dyslexia. Cathy also tells us abo…

In this podcast we hear from Vic and Jason Ballantyne, who are tenant farmers on the edge of Brora. They talk about their forage based farming system and the importance of their low input system to achieve a good a work-life balance. Vic and Jason are continually trying to improve the genetics in their livestock through a strict culling policy. The…

In this episode we speak to Celine Delabre from NatureScot to inform listeners on the upcoming requirement to complete biodiversity audits as part of the Whole Farm Plan and how NatureScot’s farm biodiversity app can help to deliver these in the future. We discuss the important details that farmers requiring the audit need to know to help them comp…

Support is changing, and although not all details are clear, crofters claiming subsidy need to have specific items and plans in place by next spring. Listen in to hear the essential information you need for next year’s Basic Payment Scheme claim. We simplify one aspect of the new system, which is called the Whole Farm Plan. The WFP is actually made…

Mary-Jane Lawrie is joined by Pete Black of Collessie Feeds and Newton of Colessie Farm. Pete Black farms at Newton of Collessie with his parents and brother. They run a successful diversified farming business with arable, commercial cattle, pedigree sheep and Clydesdales, alongside Collessie Feeds. We chatted about the farm business and the variou…

Thrill of the Hill returns for season 5, with an exciting line-up on new and returning guest speakers and specialists in their fields and on their hills. With COP26 in Glasgow well in the rearview mirror and 2030 on the horizon, serious, measurable change has to be made in the fight against climate change. With Scottish Climate Week coming up, in t…

Welcome back to the Rural Round-up. This show is produced in association with the Scottish Government. On today’s episode, Farm Advisors Tiffany Stephenson from St Boswells, George Chalmers from Turriff and Robert Ramsay from Ayr, give us the latest agricultural updates from the Borders, N. East and S. West of Scotland, and are later joined by Iain…

Welcome to In Conversation With… hosted this month by Senior Sheep and Beef Consultant Kirsten Williams. On today’s episode Kirsten is joined by Lorna Shaw (Ruminant Nutritionist, SAC Consulting) and Jonny Williams (Joint Business Director, Farm Stock). They discuss marketing the 2024 lamb crop, preparing for mating and nutrition of purchased stock…

Along with our regular monthly updates on policy briefs, arable, beef, sheep and milk, in this edition we are also bringing you sector overviews on pigs and Brazil’s agricultural sector. We will also be bringing you news on the Suckler Beef Support Scheme and grazing winter cereals. Show Notes 00:43 News in Brief 02:54 Policy Briefs – Scottish Kept…

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

In this episode, host Robert Ramsay speaks to Graham Lofthouse, beef and sheep farmer from Bankhouse Farm in the Scottish Borders, and winner of the AgriScot Scottish Sheep Farmer of the Year award 2016. Robert and Graham discuss the strategies and challenges of rotational grazing systems, lamb growth, flock efficiency, genetics and how Graham esta…

The Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) is a charitable organisation that looks to bring farming, the working countryside, and Scotland’s Natural Capital to life for young people. The trust aims to connect Scotland’s youth to the countryside, and give insight into food, farming and countryside management in Scotland. The trust achieves this throu…

Disease risk in livestock, and biosecurity is something we perhaps don’t consider as much in crofting areas as farmers might in more intensive systems. Crofting tends to be more extensive, with lower densities of stock, but we often share bulls, and graze on common ground. In this episode I’m joined by Kythe MacKenzie, who is a vet with SRUC, and K…

Loch Leven’s Larder is an enterprise with the farm to fork concept at its core, with the farm providing produce to the café and shop. Since 2005, the larder has put community and sustainability at the forefront of its operations, to provide the Loch Leven area a place to enjoy locally sourced healthy food in a relaxed atmosphere with views of the l…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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