Farming

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing has unveiled a plan to stabilise and improve the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payment process.

The ‘CAP Plan for Stabilisation’ aims to tackle the major causes of poor customer service, error and payment delay by:

AECS and Pains on the Croft - Getting to Grips with Agri-Environment Schemes

Are you trying to get to grips with AECS, or wondering how managing your land differently could impact production?

This event will look at ‘win-win’ situations, where agri-environmental management can benefit both wildlife and production.

You will also spend time exploring some of the practicalities and challenges associated with applying for and managing land under an Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS).

Free of charge to farmers, crofters and land managers.

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) invite applications to attend an interactive strategic workshop (Sandpit) to develop proposals for research and research translation projects.

A series of films from the Scottish Rural Network (SRN) will be released over the Autumn to publicise the positive impact and opportunities created by the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP).

The “SRDP on Film” season will highlight a range of projects funded under the SRDP in up to twenty short films set to be released every Thursday on the SRN website and social media channels.

Ayrshire Region New Generation Farm Walk and Get Together

Join us on Thursday 14 September 2017 at 7pm to enjoy a farm walk of the Logan family’s Holehouse Farm, Kilbirnie, KA25 7LA.
Holehouse has been in the Logan family for five generations with pedigree Ayrshires since at least the 1930s.
It extends to some 4,000 acres of hill land, 250 acres upland and 750 arable at 370’ to 1,670’ above sea level with an annual rainfall at the steading of 80 inches. As well as the 250 milking cows, there are 350 dairy young stock, 180 mainly Limousin cross suckler cows and 1,750 Scottish Blackface ewes.

The Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) is one of the charities to benefit from a recent tractor run fundraiser.

The tractor run was organised by NFU Scotland's Highland Perthshire branch and raised thousands of pounds for local charities, including RHET.

A cheque for £1,122 was presented to Alix Ritchie, RHET Project Co-ordinator for Perth & Kinross at the Aberfeldy Show.

Alix said:

You now get key messages and highlights from a European seminar on rural business innovation.

The European Network for Rural Development (ENRD) seminar on 'Revitalising Rural Areas through Business Innovation' took place on 30 March 2017 in Brussels, Belgium.

The seminar explored how rural businesses – both farm and non-farm – can innovate in ways that "create the conditions for future prosperity and vitality" as articulated in the Cork 2.0 Declaration.

A research and innovation company is looking to acquire samples from anaerobic digesters used to dispose of sheep waste.

Dr Adam Ostrowski works at the Dundee-based APS Biocontrol where they develop biocontrol measures to extend the shelf life of fresh produce. Their technology is based on the use of bacteriophages, naturally occurring antagonists of bacteria, which can be found in the same environment as the bacteria they target.

Rural Payments and Services have produced a short film highlighting how the Scottish Government and the Forestry Commission are preparing the ground for a new generation of farmers.

In the film, which you can view below, Robin Waddell of Forestry Commission Scotland interviews farmer Archie Paterson about his experience as a new entrant renting publicly owned land.

For Peat's Sake - Managing Peatlands and Upland Grazing

Peatlands – friend or foe? This interactive meeting will focus on the current and future role that peatlands play within our hill farms.

Currently a valuable carbon sink, flood water store, wildlife habitat and clean water filter, will peatlands prove to be a future ‘cash cow’ for hill farms?

How can you, as farmers, increase the value of peatlands by restoration and, most importantly, how is this funded? 

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