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 environment for young people.  This episode discusses themes around mental wellbeing and suicide, please listen with care.  

Resources 

The Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs | SAYFC 

SAYFC focused on RESPECT - Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs 

Young Farmers say ‘Leave a Light On’ - Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs 

Mental Health Support | SAYFC Members Support | Contact Us 

Home - RSABI 

Farmstrong Scotland - Live Well, Farm & Croft Well 

Agri Culture : Farmstrong Episode 

Agri Culture: Stephanie Berkeley - Yellow Wellies

Agri Culture: Jim Chapman - Adapting to Life After an Accident

For more information, visit www.FAS.scot 

Twitter: @FASScot 

Facebook: @FASScot 

National Advice Hub 

Phone: 0300 323 0161 

Email: [email protected] 

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 working population, agriculture accounts for 20% of all deaths in the workplace. In this episode, qualified First Aid Trainer and practitioner, Sean Magee discusses the importance of first aid in the farm and rural environment, including what information to provide to emergency services and the processes of seeking help, how to assess the requirements of a casualty and top tips for dealing with agricultural related incidents when they occur.  

If you want to get in touch with Sean, he can be contacted at CPS Activities Ltd via email at [email protected].

Related FAS Resources

Developing Safe Farming Practices - Lone Working

Other Related Resources

First Aid Training - CPS Activities Ltd

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 and beyond. 

07:52 Arable- Political alliances define trading blocs, Black Sea region supplies diminishing and UK barley and oats.  

12:34 Beef – 2024 market recap, Scottish suckler herd decline and 2025 beef outlook. 

17:33 Sheep – 2024 – what a year! Looking forward to 2025.  

22:02 Sector Focus – 2024 environmental roundup.   

29:56 Milk – 2024 review: a year of two halves and 2025 dairy outlook. 

35:35 Sector focus – Global trends.   

47:08 Management Matters – Financial matters: a year of political change, fiscal policy and looking ahead.  

FAS Resources 

Agribusiness News January 2025  

Other Links: 

Farm management handbook 2024-25 

www.sac.co.uk/fmh 

[email protected] 

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill  

Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill 

NatureScot Website 

Whole Farm Plans 

Biodiversity Audits 

Plant Health Centre 

Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill 

Scottish Kept Bird Register 

Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill 

Sheep and Goat Inventory 

Preparing for Sustainable farming portal on the Rural Payments and Services Website 

Farming and Water Scotland - Slurry and Manure Storage 

National Adaptation Plan 2024-2029 

Biodiversity Delivery Plan 2024-2040  

COP29 

COP16  

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting internationally 

Scottish Government - compliance measures in agriculture from 2025 

Land Reform Bill 

Record levels of peatland restored in 2024 (SG) 

Natural Capital Markets Framework 

Facility for Investment Ready (FIRNs) 

Nature finance investment fund - Nature Scot 

Landscape Enterprise Networks (LENs)  

For more information, visit www.FAS.scot 

Twitter: @FASScot 

Facebook: @FASScot 

National Advice Hub 

Phone: 0300 323 0161 

Email: [email protected] 

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 talks about the butchery side of the business and direct selling to customers and the importance of eating quality of the meat he is selling to customers.  Jock also talks about his Nuffield Scholarship focussing on eating quality of meat which included travels to other countries to experience different systems and abattoirs.  Jock is a trustee of Farmstrong Scotland and this is something he is passionate about. This is now setup as a charity and is designed to help people with their mental health and wellbeing and encourage the creation of positive habits.  

Linked resources: 

Farmstrong Scotland - Live Well, Farm & Croft Well 

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 ranging from global agreements like COP to the lived realities of farming. Together, we examine what these issues mean for agriculture and rural communities, unpacking the concept of a just transition, and the adoption of nature-based solutions. We also dive into the role of markets and public-private mechanisms, offering actionable steps for farmers and land managers to make a difference. 

Host Harry Fisher, Producer Iain Boyd, Editors Kieron Sim and Robbie Campbell, Executive Producer Kerry Hammond 

Timestamps: 

1:15 – 10:05 - Experiences of climate and biodiversity crisis

0:06 – 17:27 - Global agreements and COPs

17:28 – 33:05 - How to achieve targets and implications for agriculture

33:06 -46:26 - Just transition, biodiversity and nature based solutions

46:27 – end - Markets, mechanisms and next steps

Related FAS resources:   

Climate Change resources for farmers from Farm Advisory Service

Biodiversity | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service

Other Related Resources: 

UN Climate Change Conference COP 29 Baku - https://unfccc.int/cop29  

UN Biodiversity Conference COP 16 Columbia - https://www.cbd.int/conferences/2024  

Just Transition Commission - https://www.justtransition.scot/  

Prof. Dave Reay - https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/davereay/   

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 Consultant, Jack Zuill discusses the potential for and realities of measuring nature, using a range of technologies, from drones and LiDAR to audio capture, speculate on the future of data gathering and the importance of having specialist input in decision-making.

Want to get in touch with Jack, he can be contacted at SAC Consulting Ltd on 07584 526 926 or via email at [email protected].

Related FAS Resources

UAVs in Agriculture | Farm Advisory Service

Natural Capital - Drones, Data and Decision Making | Information helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service

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 Advisory Service 

fas.scot/downloads/mental-health-and-wellbeing/ 

Other Resources  

Home - RSABI 

Christmas and mental health - Mind 

Farmstrong Scotland - Live Well, Farm & Croft Well 

Preparing for sustainable farming - gov.scot 

Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (Mainland and Islands) 

Agri-Environment Climate Scheme 

Home | ScotEID 

For more information, visit www.FAS.scot 

Twitter: @FASScot 

Facebook: @FASScot 

National Advice Hub 

Phone: 0300 323 0161 

Email: [email protected]

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 Stephenson will be joined by a range of industry experts, bringing you timely updates to help you make decisions in the field. 

Producer George Gauley, Editor Cameron Waugh, Executive Producer Kerry Hammond, in association with the Scottish Government. 

Linked Resources

The Yield Enhancement Network | YEN

Nutri-Check Network

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 tips and farmers experience as well as the benefits this can bring to both the arable and livestock farmer. 

Episode Timestamps  

00.45 Kirsten’s 2024 highlights 

01.24 Mark’s 2024 highlights 

05.15 Integrating sheep into arable systems 

06.42 Grazing cover crops and catch crops 

09.09 Pest management and drawing moisture out of the soil 

12.20 Biodiversity benefits 

16.58 Soil compaction and deep rooting crops 

21.00 Opportunities and new entrants 

22.35 Things to be aware of (possible issues) 

27.50 Temporary grass leys 

31.55 Farmers’ experience 

34.46 Grazing winter cereals 

42.48 Marks top tips 

44.05 Kirsten's closing thoughts 

FAS Resources 

Sheep grazing winter crop - what you need to know 

Winter grazing cereals - an alternative forage source  

Whitriggs - winter grazing of crops   

Practical guide - use of cover crops 

Regenerative agriculture integrating livestock 

The benefits of grass leys in arable rotations    

Other Resources  

Grass leys for the arable rotation - AHDB 

An introduction to cover crops - AHDB 

Cover crops for additional forage | AHDB    

Outwintering Strategies 

The benefits of sheep in arable rotations (NSA)   

MIXED projects (Efficient and Resilient Mixed Farming & Agroforestry)  

For more information, visit www.FAS.scot 

Twitter: @FASScot 

Facebook: @FASScot 

National Advice Hub 

Phone: 0300 323 0161 

Email: [email protected] 

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, vacant crofts, climate change bill, proposed new national park, launch of Scotland’s Natural Capital Market Framework. 

06:49 Arable- Slow Europe export pace  

10:48 Beef – Record beef prices 

14:53 Sheep & Turkeys – Christmas costs  

18:51 Sector Focus – The Trump effect   

24:46 Milk - Production data, farm-gate prices, dairy commodities and market indicators, new export market, Arla farmers to trial Bovaer 

29:51 Sector focus – HerdPlan   

33:51 Inputs – Calving Interval – Herd fertility    

39:00 Management Matters – Carbon & Biodiversity credits  

FAS Resources 

Agribusiness News December 2024  

Other Links:  

Building (Scotland) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 2024 

Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill  

A Proposed New National Park in Scotland - Have Your Say | NatureScot  

Natural Capital Market Framework - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  

HerdPlan  

[email protected]  

UK Government Principles for Voluntary Carbon and Nature Market Integrity  

QMS - guide to improving suckler herd fertility (Graph 1, page 8)  

For more information, visit www.FAS.scot 

Twitter: @FASScot 

Facebook: @FASScot 

National Advice Hub 

Phone: 0300 323 0161 

Email: [email protected]