Scotland's Farm Advisory Service Podcast

The loss of species and degradation of our natural environment is an existential threat to the planet that requires urgent, collaborative and transformative solutions. We are in a biodiversity crisis, with 1 in 9 Scottish species facing extinction and declines in numbers and ranges of many plants, birds and animals. There is a need for action and Scotland’s Biodiversity Strategy to 2045 sets out a...

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 what Farmers & Crofters can do to put the best foot forward in the New Year, to give themselves a good chance of a successful 2025.   Related Resources   Preparing for Sustainable Farm...

In this episode Tiffany Stephenson is joined by Balbirnie Farms manager David Aglen along with Professor Fiona Burnett, an applied plant pathologist at SRUC to discuss the results from crop trials, which have been taking place at Balbirnie Home Farms as part of the AHDB strategic cereal farm Scotland project.  Welcome to Cropcast, your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable cr...

Mary-Jane Lawrie is joined by Ally Brunton chair of SAYFC and Jillian Kennedy, SAYFC Vice chair.  They both talk about their time in young farmers and the experiences and benefits of being in the club.  They also tell us about the SAYFC Respect campaign which was launched at the Highland Show in 2024, which aims to allow every member to contribute to SAYFC as a safe, inclusive, fun envir...

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. We're all human, fragile and fallible, accidents can occur and mistakes can be made, people can be in danger, get hurt and when that happens, be in need of first aid. The National Farmers Union reports that despite accounting for only 1% of the w...

Along with our regular monthly updates on policy briefs, arable, beef, sheep and milk, in this edition we are also bringing you a sector overview of environmental developments over 2024 and we will be bringing you news on global trends and the new Scottish budget and financial update.  Show Notes   00:40 News in Brief  02:06 Policy Briefs – Roundup of 2024 and looking to 2025 a...

In this podcast we hear from Jock Gibson who is a farmer and butcher. He talks about his farming system at home and how his cattle are certified with Pasture for Life. This means they are on a grassland and forage diet and are therefore slower to reach finished weights than conventional finishing systems which feed concentrate feed. Jock has native breeds of cattle to suit this system. Jock also t...

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 share their valuable perspectives on topics...

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 climate change. In this episode, Environmental Cons...

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 Scotland | Farm Advisor...

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. Each month, SAC advisor, Tiffany Stephenso...

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 explore options for integrating livestock, share top ti...

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 farming, woodburning stoves...

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 the farming business to hydro scheme,...

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 the challenges the herd has faced including Johnes...

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-safe herbicide that is undergoing trials and...

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 Technologies specialise in producing locally-adapte...

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 larger biodiversity network. In this episode we sit...

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 sheep inspections and how to keep meaningful records....

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 the Agricultural Industry and dive into det...

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 range of industry experts, bringing...

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 the dark times.  He te...

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 week and educates young farmers ac...

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 Briefs – Scottish Suckler...

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 farmers, with advice, guidance, and a...