A second visit to the home of farmer and Sunday Times-bestselling author James Oswald. Monty's a big fan of James' supernatural crime books, especially the Edinburgh-based Inspector Tony McLean series. This is the second of two episodes recorded at James' home.

(Episode photo credit: David Cruickshanks)

Mentioned in this episode:

Meet OnFARM sponsors SkyeSkyns

SkyeSkyns is a traditional tannery, and luxury sheepskins and home accessories business on the Isle of Skye. The company are looking for crofters, breeders and farmers who breed native, rare, or heritage breed sheep, to supply skins for their tannery. This will mean they can hand-craft fully traceable sheep skins, and support producers by putting value back in to the sheep farming process. Find out more about joining the SkyeSkyns supplier network:

Skye Skins

James Oswald is the Sunday Times-bestselling author of dozens of books including the Edinburgh-based Inspector Tony McLean series of supernatural crime novels. He's also a Fife farmer, and particularly proud of his breeding herd of Highland cattle. Monty's a big fan of James' books, and jumped at the chance to pay him a visit for the podcast. This is the first of two episodes recorded at James' home.

(Episode photo credit: David Cruickshanks)

Mentioned in this episode:

Meet OnFARM sponsors SkyeSkyns

SkyeSkyns is a traditional tannery, and luxury sheepskins and home accessories business on the Isle of Skye. The company are looking for crofters, breeders and farmers who breed native, rare, or heritage breed sheep, to supply skins for their tannery. This will mean they can hand-craft fully traceable sheep skins, and support producers by putting value back in to the sheep farming process. Find out more about joining the SkyeSkyns supplier network:

Skye Skins

Something a bit different this week: Anna was recently interviewed by Mary Jane Lawrie for the FAS Sounds Agri Culture podcast, so we thought we'd bring you that interview in full as a behind-the-scenes peek at life at Scene and Herd and OnFARM.

If you enjoy what you hear, do go and check out the FAS Sounds stable of podcasts at fas.scot/sounds

Agri Culture is one of six different shows under the FAS Sounds banner. Among others, they have a 'Rural Round-up', 'Stock Talk', 'CropCast', and 'Crofting Matters' shows. They are all delivered under the banner of the Scottish Government’s Farm Advisory Service, or FAS for short.

The Farm Advisory Service offers advice to farmers on almost any topic: www.fas.scot

Mentioned in this episode:

Meet OnFARM sponsors SkyeSkyns

SkyeSkyns is a traditional tannery, and luxury sheepskins and home accessories business on the Isle of Skye. The company are looking for crofters, breeders and farmers who breed native, rare, or heritage breed sheep, to supply skins for their tannery. This will mean they can hand-craft fully traceable sheep skins, and support producers by putting value back in to the sheep farming process. Find out more about joining the SkyeSkyns supplier network:

Skye Skins

Following last week's episode when Monty got to try a Dynescan portable semen quality analyser, we're hearing from a livestock vet who offers Dynescan tests to clients. Tom Oxtoby is from the George Farm Vets practice in Malmesbury in Wiltshire. The Dynescan ensures that vets can provide speedy and reliable advice to farmers looking to improve productivity and profit margins.

Find out more about Dyneval at their website. The George Vet Group are online here.

Mentioned in this episode:

Meet OnFARM sponsors SkyeSkyns

SkyeSkyns is a traditional tannery, and luxury sheepskins and home accessories business on the Isle of Skye. The company are looking for crofters, breeders and farmers who breed native, rare, or heritage breed sheep, to supply skins for their tannery. This will mean they can hand-craft fully traceable sheep skins, and support producers by putting value back in to the sheep farming process. Find out more about joining the SkyeSkyns supplier network:

Skye Skins

Created in Scotland: a game-changing portable pen-side semen quality analyser for livestock industries. The Dynescan was developed at Edinburgh University's Roslin Innovation Centre and provides accurate semen quality results within minutes. Its developers say anyone can use it. It helps farms to be more profitable, improving fertility management and reducing carbon emissions. Monty's been speaking with one of the technology's inventors Dr Vincent Martinez. Find out more about Dyneval at their website.

Mentioned in this episode:

Meet OnFARM sponsors SkyeSkyns

SkyeSkyns is a traditional tannery, and luxury sheepskins and home accessories business on the Isle of Skye. The company are looking for crofters, breeders and farmers who breed native, rare, or heritage breed sheep, to supply skins for their tannery. This will mean they can hand-craft fully traceable sheep skins, and support producers by putting value back in to the sheep farming process. Find out more about joining the SkyeSkyns supplier network:

Skye Skins

In February 2021, Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne, was a guest on OnFARM, launching a fundraising drive to find a cure for Equine Grass Sickness. The mysterious disease is almost always fatal to horses, and, in recent years, had killed 5 prized Highland ponies on Her Majesty the Queen's Balmoral estate. Efforts to find a treatment are being led by Dr Beth Wells of Edinburgh’s Moredun Research Institute, while fundraising is spearheaded by RHASS director and equine vet Anne Logan. In this episode, Anna speaks with Beth and Anne for an update on their important work.

For more on funding and supporting a cure for Equine Grass Sickness, isit: www.grasssickness.org.uk

We are grateful to Horselyx for supporting this episode: www.horslyx.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Meet OnFARM sponsors SkyeSkyns

SkyeSkyns is a traditional tannery, and luxury sheepskins and home accessories business on the Isle of Skye. The company are looking for crofters, breeders and farmers who breed native, rare, or heritage breed sheep, to supply skins for their tannery. This will mean they can hand-craft fully traceable sheep skins, and support producers by putting value back in to the sheep farming process. Find out more about joining the SkyeSkyns supplier network:

Skye Skins

Hannah and Danny Gallagher - better known to many on social media as The Red Shepherdess and Danny the Farrier - share their delight and excitement at not one but two pieces of life-changing news; they have just taken on their first farm in their own names, and - after three miscarriages - have their first baby on the way. The couple talk to Monty about sharing their lives on social media, and how they hope to open up their farm to more visitors in 2023.

Huge thanks to Scottish law firm Gillespie Macandrew for supporting this episode.

Image credit: Ryan Day Photography

Mentioned in this episode:

Meet OnFARM sponsors SkyeSkyns

SkyeSkyns is a traditional tannery, and luxury sheepskins and home accessories business on the Isle of Skye. The company are looking for crofters, breeders and farmers who breed native, rare, or heritage breed sheep, to supply skins for their tannery. This will mean they can hand-craft fully traceable sheep skins, and support producers by putting value back in to the sheep farming process. Find out more about joining the SkyeSkyns supplier network:

Skye Skins

For our final episode of 2022, Monty, Anna and Dave look back on the year's highlights. Huge thanks to everyone who's been involved in helping make OnFARM a success this year - especially our series sponsors Scottish legal firm Gillespie Macandrew. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and we'll be back with new episodes on 2023.

Mentioned in this episode:

Meet OnFARM sponsors SkyeSkyns

SkyeSkyns is a traditional tannery, and luxury sheepskins and home accessories business on the Isle of Skye. The company are looking for crofters, breeders and farmers who breed native, rare, or heritage breed sheep, to supply skins for their tannery. This will mean they can hand-craft fully traceable sheep skins, and support producers by putting value back in to the sheep farming process. Find out more about joining the SkyeSkyns supplier network:

Skye Skins

Rising costs, increasing uncertainty and a squeeze on prices are all contributing to a "full blown crisis" for Scottish fruit growers, according to Angus Soft Fruit's James Porter. James has been speaking to OnFARM's Dave Howard - and has issued a plea for greater support from UK and Scottish governments, farming unions, and anyone else with influence to change things.

Mentioned in this episode:

Meet OnFARM sponsors SkyeSkyns

SkyeSkyns is a traditional tannery, and luxury sheepskins and home accessories business on the Isle of Skye. The company are looking for crofters, breeders and farmers who breed native, rare, or heritage breed sheep, to supply skins for their tannery. This will mean they can hand-craft fully traceable sheep skins, and support producers by putting value back in to the sheep farming process. Find out more about joining the SkyeSkyns supplier network:

Skye Skins

Scottish agritourism faces “the opportunity to become world renowned”, according to Visit Scotland’s Vicki Millar. Monty also meets Cabinet Secretary Mairi Gougeon, Scottish Agritourism lead Caroline Millar and many others, in this episode recorded at the 2021 Scottish Agritourism conference.

Contributors:

Cabinet Secretary Mairi Gougeon

Scottish Agritourism’s Caroline Millar

Visit Scotland’s Vicki Millar

Alan Laidlaw from RHASS

The Scotsman newspaper’s Brian Henderson

The Scottish Farmer’s political editor Claire Taylor

Linda Tinson of Ledingham Chalmers solicitors

Agritourism businesses:

Stuart and Jo McNicol from Drift

Jasmine and Fenwick Jackson from Jacksons at Jedburgh

John Scott of Fearn Farm

Helen Smith from Byres Farm

Sarah Johnson of Bowbridge Alpacas Scotland

Nikki Storrar of Ardross Farm Shop

Robert and Lucy Wilson of Wilson’s Farm and Kitchen

With thanks to: The Scotland Starts Here podcast from the South of Scotland Destination Alliance (SSDA)

Mentioned in this episode:

Meet OnFARM sponsors SkyeSkyns

SkyeSkyns is a traditional tannery, and luxury sheepskins and home accessories business on the Isle of Skye. The company are looking for crofters, breeders and farmers who breed native, rare, or heritage breed sheep, to supply skins for their tannery. This will mean they can hand-craft fully traceable sheep skins, and support producers by putting value back in to the sheep farming process. Find out more about joining the SkyeSkyns supplier network:

Skye Skins