Innovation

A total of 33 businesses, large and small, will receive grants ranging from £16,000 to £1.4 million from the Food Processing, Marketing and Cooperation (FPMC) grant scheme.

Projects include capacity building for a dairy farm to meet the growing demand for its soft cheese, setting up of a new venison processing operation and installation of solar panels at a butcher premises to reduce carbon footprint and minimise electricity costs.

A new course in peatland restoration, the first of its kind in Scotland, is now open for booking. The course, supported with additional online learning, has been developed by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) in partnership with NatureScot Peatland ACTION and is aimed at graduates currently involved, or aspiring to work, in the planning of peatland restoration schemes which are a vital nature-based solution to the climate emergency.

Scotland’s farmers, crofters, land-managers, small holders and small landholders are vital to our ambition to make our nation fairer and greener, and small landholders are part of this farming ambition.

The next in a series of consultation workshops to support development of a new Scottish Agriculture Bill takes place in Oban on the 1 November and the Scottish Rural Network team will be there to support policy colleagues on the night.  

Next week will see a workshop held in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire (Thainstone House Hotel, 25th October) as part of a series of eight face to face events which will support Scottish Government’s consultation process to develop a new Agriculture Bill. 

The Highlands and Islands Climate Hub is offering small grants to community groups for community engagement or seed funding for a community climate action project.