Scotland's Farm Advisory Service Podcast

What is it that makes a farm business successful? And how can we all strive to be more resilient in the face of challenge and change?   George Gauley speaks with Neil Sandilands who is part of a share farming agreement at Upper Hundalee.  Over trebling sheep numbers in 10 years and taking on additional grazing, find out how someone who started without capital and land has managed to get into farmi...

What is it that makes a farm business successful? And how can we all strive to be more resilient in the face of challenge and change?   Mary-Jane Lawrie speaks with Jim Shanks who farms at Standhill near Hawick.  Find out how Jim has overcome challenges to grow tomatoes in a 4-acre glass house on his dairy farm.  Running the business entirely on sustainable fuel and using every scrap available in...

What is it that makes a farm business successful? And how can we all strive to be more resilient in the face of challenge and change?   Mary-Jane Lawrie speaks with Colin McGregor from Coldstream Mains. Operating and managing over 3500hectares of arable land, across their own farm and 14 local farms under various agreements. There is a focus on attention to detail whilst improving yields and reduc...

In this podcast Robert Ramsay of SAC Consulting speaks to Gordon Caldwell, an Ayrshire based veg farmer. Gordon describes himself as a veteran new entrant, having started his business over 10 years ago. This podcast focuses on Gordon's experiences in establishing his business while also touching on regenerative agriculture, dealing with the end consumer and the future. 

The Managing People podcast is part of a toolkit of publications to assist farmers and managers in managing people within their business. In the final episode of the two part series, we will be chatting to Michael Bayne from Borders Machinery Ring to hear more about what the pre-apprenticeship scheme involves and how successful it has been in allowing farmers to introduce young, enthusiastic indiv...

The Managing People podcast is part of a toolkit of publications to assist farmers and managers in managing people within their business. In the first of this two part series we will speak to John Kerr, a Dairy Farmer from Newmilns in Ayrshire and John Sinclair from Craigie’s Farm Shop near Edinburgh to hear their experiences of employing and managing staff as well as their top tips for others. 

In this podcast Jamie Boyle  (centre in the photo) introduces us to the wonders of the Uist machair, an excellent example of High Nature Value farming.  We learn about how integral crofting through growing crops and grazing cattle are essential for the habitats that host some of the highest densities of waders in western Europe.

In this podcast Derek Hanton of SAC Inverness gives advice to those thinking of growing crops on a small scale for the first time.  Many types of crops are discussed from root crops and those that are combinable.  Some key constraints of working in small fields in marginal areas are discussed.

Beef Specialist Robert Ramsay chats to Michael Shannon and Peter Eccles. Two farmers who both market there products  directly to consumers. Michael sells his own beef and other products through his on farm butchery and Peter sells his through a box scheme. They share their experiences and opinions on how producers can add value to their beef. 

A real success story, Laura Hinnekens took the bold decision to move to Scotland from Belgium to follow her dream of farming, starting with only a few hundred pounds in her pocket, her van and her dogs, she is now farming in Biggar with her partner Euan. @LawhillLamb 

In this episode George Gauley is joined by Harriet Busby from Border berries. Border berries is a thriving farm business, located near St Boswells in the Scottish borders.     Harriets’ family have been growing berries since the 1960s and started by supplying jam to a local factory. Since then Border berries has grown to become the largeset pick your own berry farm in the south of Scotland and one...

Malcolm Macdonald spoke to nutritionists Karen Stewart and Mary Young along with beef specialist Robert Ramsay about planning feed supplies for the winter. Karen, Mary and Robert give us a run down of what farmers need to be thinking about as cows come in for the winter and start to be fed.  How to produce a feed budget, what the options are if you are short of fodder, how to manage cow condition,...

This year, four farmers from across Scotland have been documenting their experience using rotational grazing methods on video. You can follow the whole series on our youtube channel here:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8DdHOvRK_JkCNZpkPiTqLRp8M4lqAyP- For this episode, SAC Consultant Lorna Galloway brings all four farmers together to discuss their experiences so far, and offer advice to...

Kerry Allison, Senior Marketing Consultant with SAC discusses PR (public relations) with a Food PR Agent, an Agricultural PR firm, and farm businesses who is rocking their PR opportunities. In the third and final podcast, Kerry catches up with Claire Pollock from Ardross Farm Shop. Claire tells a really engaging story of how the farm shop came to be, how the family found their feet with marketing...

Kerry Allison, Senior Marketing Consultant with SAC discusses PR (public relations) with a Food PR Agent, an Agricultural PR firm, and farm businesses who is rocking their PR opportunities. In this second podcast, join Kerry as she speaks to Jane Craigie owner of Jane Craigie Marketing. Jane is a communications and PR expert in agriculture and rural industries. Jane shares some industry overview,...

Kerry Allison, Senior Marketing Consultant with SAC discusses PR (public relations) with a Food PR Agent, an Agricultural PR firm, and farm businesses who is rocking their PR opportunities. In this first podcast, join Kerry as she speaks to Martha Bryce from Soundbite PR. Martha is a food and drink PR professional, and also has her own farm (venison) and has been at the sharp end of some of bad PR...

Seamus Donnelly discusses the wider financial and environmental benefits and speaks to Simon Jones (Genap) about choosing Tensioned versus Floating Covers for Ringed Tanks ,Jason Smyth (Linton and Robinson) about fitting a Floating Cover on a Lagoon and Darragh Magee (AEG) about the novel use of LECA to reduce ammonia emissions on Lagoons and Ring Stores. Interest has increased with the opportunit...

In this episode Hazel Laughton speaks with Andrew Baillie who farms at Carstairs Mains in Lanarkshire. Andrew shares his experience of suffering a substantial loss in productivity as a direct result of liver fluke in his flock, despite having a stringent management plan in place. He discusses his quarantine procedures, what extra measures he has put in place to minimise the risk of infestation and...

  Patrick Laurie, Galloway based author of ‘Native’ speaks to Janette Sutherland in Skye about his book. They discuss his starting a farming business and Riggit Galloway herd. They discuss native breeds and new technology including GPS cattle collars. Patrick discusses the importance of High Nature Value farming for many of Scotland’s iconic species.

In this episode George Gauley is joined by Lucy Tile from Bairnkine Farm, Jedburgh.  Lucy runs a busy 1100 acres farming approximately 2000 sheep.  If this wasn’t enough, Lucy also manages two holiday cottages offering guests a unique taste of the countryside. Owl Cottage which sleeps six, and Wild Rose Cottage which sleeps five. Lucy also runs a caravan site offering electric hook ups and hard st...

Alex is joined by Iain Boyd to discuss the potential of renewables in farms across Scotland. The potential our landscape and geography have for different types of renewable energy, and what conditions are currently conducive to their addition to your business. Renewables have an important part to play in the fight against climate change, allowing Scotland to transition from fossil fuels to greener...

In the fourth Thrill of The Hill episode, Alex is joined by SAC Consultant Malcolm Macdonald to discuss virtual fencing technology and it's potential applications in Scotland and across the world. The uptake of new and innovative technologies is an important factor when considering how to drive productivity in the hill environment. Virtual fencing is an up and coming technology that is gaining pop...

For the third episode of the Thrill of The Hill podcast, Alex Pirie is joined by David Eadie, a woodlands consultant, to discuss the potential of woodland planting and management in the upland environment. Scotland has gone leaps and bounds to green the landscape with woodland to tackle the issue of climate change. With Scottish Government protecting and enhancing funding for woodland creation and...

Consultant Alex Pirie speaks with Consultant Robert Ramsay from SAC Consulting's livestock team about the current state of the Beef Sector in Scotland, and how to create synergy between your farmed upland and your improved grassland. 

Consultant Alex Pirie speaks with Daniel Stout about Sheep Upland Grazing strategies and the broader Sheep industry in Scotland.