Farming

A number of farming businesses are celebrating following wins at the 2017 Scottish Rural Awards.

Award categories encompass every aspect of rural life, from agriculture and food production, to conservation, education and tourism.

The European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI) is looking for your ideas for new Focus Groups.

EIP-AGRI provides support to projects which show innovation in linking research with farming or forestry practices. Each year at least five new Focus Groups start working on a range of themes.

You can now enter the Nature of Scotland Awards 2017 in nine categories including the Food and Farming Award and Marine Conservation Award.

These annual awards recognise and celebrate excellence, innovation and outstanding achievement in Scottish nature conservation.

The award categories are:

Do you know an inspirational young farmer who has a real passion for the countryside and deserves reognition?

Countryfile's resident farmer Adam Henson is looking for nominations for Countryfile's Young Farmer Award 2017. If you know a young farmer who stands out because of their determination, character or sheer hard work, why not put them forward for the award?

A forestry apprentice from Dumfries took home the top prize at Lantra Scotland's fifteenth Land-based and Aquaculture Learner of the Year Awards.

The European Innovation Partnership 'Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability' (EIP-AGRI) are looking for livestock farmers and forest managers to take part in two new Focus Groups.

The topics to be covered by the Focus Groups are:

You can apply now to take part in the two-day EIP-AGRI seminar ‘Digital Innovation Hubs: mainstreaming digital agriculture’.

The seminar is organised by the European Commission and will take place on 1-2 June 2017 in Kilkenny, Ireland.

The organisers of the ever popular Open Farm Sunday are seeking potential hosts for this year’s event on Sunday 11 June 2017.

Would you consider getting involved by opening your farm, or helping to spread the word via your own networks?