Issue 120 farmingscotland.com December 2015

Farming Country

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Hope you like the new look magazine! From now on the publication will be going out every two months rather than monthly, to fit in with our farming calendar here at Marbrack. The next issue will be out on February 1st and bi-monthly thereafter. With more time on my hands to research, write articles and sell adverts I hope to be able to offer a much more diverse magazine with higher pagination in the months and years to come.

Jock Sutherland is providing a new Sheep Dog Trial section with amazing photos from Elaine Fletcher each issue.

Our cover story this month is on our local sheep scanner –Duncan Kennedy –I’ve always found his stories from round the world fascinating but there is never time to take notes while we are scanning at home. I caught up with him before the scanning season was in full swing.

Exactly a decade on from the publication of From Thistle to Fern, I’ve decided to run a chapter in each issue of the magazine. Thanks to all who bought the book, both in this country and overseas. I had an awesome time researching for it, working for a few days on some stations, visiting others and shearing for six weeks on Mount Linton.

Well better get this off to the printer –we’re heading up to Perthshire this afternoon to pick up some ewes that have been tupping there.

Heartfelt feeling for the farmers across Cumbria who have lost stock, had crops, fields and buildings damaged during the recent flooding. Hope the New Year brings health, wealth and happiness for one and all.

Bliadhna Mhath Ur

Duncan Kennedy started scanning sheep 26 years ago –it has taken him across four continents and numerous countries. His son David (22) has now joined the business.

Cattle Moo-vements?

Meat processors are calling for restrictions to be applied to cattle movements. If there is going to be a deduction for cattle movements, the question to be asked is ‘what justification is there?’ Beef from these cattle won’t be any cheaper on the s–elves, these cattle won’t yield differently, meat quality won’t be any different, meat safety will not be further enhanced and all that will happen is that the meat supply chain will be further controlled by processors.

This is the message from Chris Mallon, Chief Executive of the National Beef Association on hearing that one of the UK’s leading meat processors are starting to penalise the owners of cattle on their number of movements with penalties being added for 3 or more movements. The cost of this to the farmer could be in the region of £60.00 per animal.

We have seen a plethora of penalties are being put into place, for cattle that weigh over 400kg, penalties just because they have dairy skins, and more penalties for grades than you could shake a stick at.

Speaking about the proposals, Chris said: “The questions to be asked are:

• Why should processors have control over the cattle before they become their property?

• Are the auctioneers going to be compensated by the processors for the extra costs in identifying moves and residencies?

• Why are processors so threatened by the open and transparent valuation of store cattle in the live ring?

• Are the consumers going to be able to buy 4 moves beef at a cheaper level?

This really is dictatorial, and once again the processors are trying to have control over their suppliers.”

This has only one result and that is a reduction in the value of the cattle, it will also create much more work for both the auction system and the vendors as they will have to adopt processes to check the movements the cattle.

Long-term processors are going to restrict the number of cattle which they get to process and it would appear that the new restrictions are penalising the producer to the benefit of the processor, there is no evidence of any benefit being passed onto the consumer.

Chris goes on to say: “penalties on the upper weights, which are obviously just a method of creating an upper value limit on the price of cattle. There needs to be clear justification for enforcing a penalty on the number of moves an animal has made and there also needs to be clarification on what constitutes a move as far as the dead weight

specification is.”

"The penalties, which have been brought in by processors over the last week is just the latest evidence to show that no voluntary code will ever work to control meat processors, Dunbia are not a signatory to the code but St Merryn Meats were the first to sign up to the voluntary code and the first to break it. The code has now been in place for over a year and we are still seeing the processors imposing implausible restrictions and penalties on the producers with no, or very little, notice.

“The NBA does not believe that the voluntary code is enough to provide stability to the industry. Any code –whether voluntary or not –needs to have an ability to police itself and have enforcement powers.”

Rather than a voluntary code, the NBA continues to believe the beef industry needs a producer ombudsman, similar to the Grocery Code Adjudicator, to oversee the relationship between producers and processors.

“The introduction of an ombudsman would give producers greater confidence that they are being treated fairly, provide a forum to deal with complaints and have the power to enforce its decisions. The NBA have been asking for an ombudsman for over 2 years now, it is time that the industry starts to listen before it is too late” said Chris.

Arla has more raw milk in its care than ever before and more expected over the next five years. This provides the business with opportunities for global growth to create value for its 12 700 farmer owners.

Unveiling its new Strategy 2020, Arla is setting out to grow its business in eight global dairy categories and six market regions around the world, as the company moves towards 2020 as one effective and unified cooperative.

Since 2007 Arla's milk volume has grown from eight billion kilos to 14 billion kilos through mergers and, since April 2015, through organic growth in the milk production of Arla's farmer owners as EU milk quotas no longer exist. It is anticipated that Arla's farmers will grow their milk production by another 2.5 billion kilos by 2020, giving Arla more growth opportunities than ever before.

In the new group strategy Good Growth 2020, Arla's Board of Directors and executive management is laying out the direction for Arla's business in the coming five years to create maximum value for the increased volume of milk:

By excelling in eight dairy categories

By focusing on six regions

By winning as one efficient Arla "We are launching a new strategy. However it is not a radical change of direction for Arla. Over the past years we have prepared for this moment by expanding our size and our competencies. In Strategy 2020 we will focus even more on organic growth and growing our brands through innovation that focuses on what consumers and customers want and need. This will help us create the most profitable growth with our farmer owners' milk," says CEO of Arla Foods, Peder Tuborgh.

Five Year Plan for Arla

Excel in eight dairy categories

Consumers around the world are looking for ways to make their everyday lives healthier. Arla has now identified eight product categories that will be the central focus for the company's efforts to shape the dairy market by offering new products with natural ingredients, great taste and good nutrients that make it easier to healthily.

“The global dairy industry has developed by a speed seldom seen before, with millions of consumers changing their daily habits and preferences. We have analysed consumer needs and trends across dairy categories worldwide and have matched this with our own biggest strengths. This has led us to pursue eight specific categories where we feel Arla can grow a leading position globally or regionally. Our strategic innovation and best resources will be poured into these categories," says Peder Tuborgh.

The eight prioritised product categories are: Butter and spreads: Be global leader in butter and spreads with world class products made from natural ingredients

Spreadable Cheese: Lead in cream cheese made from natural ingredients and high quality processed cream cheese

Speciality Cheese: Be leading player in speciality cheese with creatively crafted products and concepts

Milk-based beverages: Shape market for nutritious milk-based beverages made from natural ingredients for people on the go Yogurt: Innovate to build a strong 'natural goodness' position for yogurts

Milk and powder: Lead and shape the milk and powder market with nutritious value-added and cost-competitive products. Mozzarella: Build global mozzarella position with high quality and cost-competitive products

Ingredients: Be the global leader in value-added whey

Arla will pursue growth in these eight categories primarily through its three global brands of Arla® (natural goodness), Lurpak® (good food deserves Lurpak) and Castello® (creatively crafted).

Focusing on six regions

Over the years Arla has built a strong position in Northern Europe and the Middle

East, where Arla is the preferred dairy company for consumers and where Arla's brands are among the strongest in the food industry. In that same period, Arla has also begun to build a business in new growth markets such as China, sub-Saharan Africa and Russia.

Arla will continue to build on these market positions as it focuses its growth ambitions on the following six markets: Europe, the Middle East, China, Russia, Nigeria and the USA. In Europe, Arla's lead markets are the UK, Sweden, Denmark and Germany.

" Over the coming five years we expect about half of our growth to come from outside the EU as we grow market shares while the other half will come from within the EU as we grow in key categories and add value through innovation," he adds.

Winning as one efficient Arla

Over the past five years Arla grew significantly in Europe with no less than six mergers in Central Europe, the UK and Sweden and the past few years have been spent aligning the different companies into one and harvesting the synergies that the mergers created. In Good Growth 2020 Arla will now take this unity to the next level.

"We are a different company to the one we once were. The last few years have prepared Arla to take the role of a global food company, and the benefits will be reaped over the coming years. Going forward, our entire supply chain will be more efficient as we will establish one European milk pool to ensure a more holistic use of our milk across the Arla group. You will see our branding and marketing becoming more global, improving the spend effectiveness, and you will see Arla driving more radical innovation across borders," says Peder Tuborgh.

Arla Foods is an international dairy company owned by 12.700 farmers from Denmark, Sweden, the UK, Germany, Belgium, Luxemburg and the Netherlands. Arla Foods is one of the strongest players in the international dairy arena, with a wide range of dairy products of highest quality. Wellknown brands like Lurpak® and Castello® belongs to the Arla family. Arla Foods is also the world's largest manufacturer of organic dairy products.

Around the Regions

2015 has been a fairly eventful year, lambing went fairly well until the end of April when, as those of you who lamb at that time of year will know the weather took a turn for the worse.

The land we farm in Sutherland is beautiful on a nice day but when the east wind is coming straight off the sea with horizontal rain it can be brutal. We had scanned 155% up there and felt that the farm was really responding to a touch of TLC but tailing turned out to be very disappointing with far fewer lambs than we had hoped for.

There wasn’t any spare time to cry over what might have been as we had agreed to host NSA Highland sheep which was held on the farm on June 9th. Thankfully the weather played its part and we were delighted to see a large number of people turn out to get involved in what turned out to be an extremely positive day. Our team at Fearn put in a power of work along with the local committee and many other volunteers, the challenge now is to keep the farm looking as tidy as it was then.

Summer was fairly uneventful for us, it certainly wasn’t bright, more silage than I know what to do with has been made, which I was fairly chuffed with, until I got the contractors bill, which brought me down to earth. We always make some silage but don’t plan to make a set amount; we shut grass off depending on grass growth and try not to waste anything if possible.

An investment in grass moving kit has given us the option of making hay if the gods allow, it’s also allowed us to make a much better quality of silage, which is what happened this season.

Prime lamb sales were steady over the summer, not at prices that I liked but I’m a firm believer of selling stock when it’s ready. For a while now I have flirted with the idea of holding an on farm store lamb sale in August and this year we bit the bullet and booked it with Dingwall and Highland Marts. We sold 2242 lambs to average £46.50, which is slightly light off where I had wanted to be but

on reflection it was a fair price for the lambs we had on offer in a difficult season. Our intention was to sell young lambs from our outlying farms both in Easter Ross and Sutherland, freeing up grass for tupping and labour later in the year, which would usually be associated with finishing lambs. Getting some cash in earlier in the year was also a major driver and at the moment we plan to repeat this next year. The recipe isn’t perfect, there are plenty improvements that can be made but we feel that its suits our style of marketing and we can build on it possibly even adding breeding sheep to the mix.

Our ram sale was only a couple of weeks after the lamb sale, which kept the mind focussed, despite not dressing there’s still plenty preparation with sheds to get ready and vet inspections of every ram. Our new sale ring constructed by Ben, who works for us was a work of art; it took some punishment with the Texels battering it, the Suffolks smashing it and the Aberfields clearing it but we eventually got all the rams through safely with all selling to new homes.

We have sold on farm for four years now and I can honestly say it’s one of the better business decisions I have made and don’t regret going down this path at all.

Our shepherd Martin is off to New Zealand for a year and the photos on facebook are making us all very jealous. Our kiwi lamber Emma is coming back to cover for six months whilst he’s away. It will be great to have her back as she gets on so well with everyone and is cheery 100% of the time.

We have taken the decision to employ a farm administrator who will take over many of the office tasks that I do at the moment, including movement records and performance recording of our stud flocks and herds. Many of you who have been to Dingwall and Highland Marts will know Shona Brown ,who will be in position by the time you read this. It does mean that along with our new apprentice Sine Soska ladies now outnumber men at Fearn, only time will tell how this works out??

Highland –John Scott

Agriscot Sheep Farm of the year. Earlier this year I had the pleasure of judging the very first AgriScot sheep farm of the year which was sponsored by Thorntons Law.

Over the space of three days I visited four farms which fellow judges Rhidian Jones and Richard Blake and we were blown away by what we saw.

First of all we visited David Cooper from Tardoes Farm, Muirkirk who was running 3000 Swaledale and Welsh Mountain ewes on a very extensive system –ultimate low input system. We couldn’t help be impressed by the determination that David had shown to develop the business to what it is today using unconventional genetics for the area.

Our next visit was to Sion Williams at Bowhill, Selkirk with 4500 blackface and crossbred ewes which were run on hill and upland units. Sion’s grasp of figures and use of EID was exemplary, he also had a close working relationship with his buyers and had a willingness to test and trial new technology. Peter Hedley from Swinside Townfoot, Jedburgh was our next destination. where we saw Cheviot Mules being produced to a very high standard, like David he was in the new entrant age bracket and was operating with very little support payment.

Last but certainly not least we travelled to Armadale farm on the north coast of Sutherland, where Joyce Campbell farm 780 Cheviot ewes to an exceptionally high standard. By the time we had finished our pre tour chat in the kitchen we were all knackered –the information was coming at us thick and fast. Attention to detail was second to none, interaction via social media with consumers all over the world was amazing and as we were taken round the farm by Joyce the pride and passion for the industry was constantly evident. Having subsequently met the rest of the team at the awards (they were at school on our visit) it is obvious that there is a very bright future at Armadale and I look forward to seeing the next generation develop there.

We were unanimous that team Armadale was our winner but our overriding feeling was that all applicants were of an extremely high calibre, which we as an industry should be proud.

It’s great that Agriscot have teamed up with Thorntons Law to recognise excellence in the sheep sector and it will be great to see more entrants of similar quality next year.

Sheep Farmer 2015

Joyce Campbell Armadale Farm

Craftsman Ron Retires from SRUC

After Nearly Half a Century of Gardening at Elmwood Campus

After 45 years of loyal service to students, staff and the plants on the Elmwood Campus of Scotland's Rural College Craftsman Gardener Ron Currie (63) is retiring. He has worked on the site at Cupar since enrolling as a student at Elmwood in 1969, straight from school.

Ron, who is a regular sight in and around the college's beautiful gardens, helps the students with practical outdoor work and their classroom theory. "I have seen a lot of students come and go," says Ron. "It has been great to see them succeed in their careers."

He has served all six principals at Elmwood, living through the various changes the campus has undergone over those years.

Ron also remembers when the abundant soft fruit and vegetables grown at Elmwood were sold to the Tontine Restaurant in the town, his old high school Bell Baxter's and Kilmaron School.

His love of gardening was stimulated at an early age, when he would spend holidays at his grandparents house in Strathenry. His grandfather and a neighbour worked together at Strathenry Castle, Leslie, where they were responsible for the walled garden. Ron would also help out with tasks around the garden and has fond memories of endless summer days. At home his father was also a keen gardener, Ron remembers joining him to plant vegetables and pick fruit.

Philip Watkin, SRUC Programme Manager Horticulture, commented:

"Ron has been inspirational to a great number of Elmwood students and staff, both in terms of his wide horticultural knowledge and his willingness to help others. His sense of humour, normally aimed at the English cricket results, will be truly missed."

Elmwood's loss is Springfield Community Trust's gain as Ron is planning to keep himself busy and has already planted bulbs for the community and is contributing to the village Christmas Fayre. His favourite jobs are putting together holly wreaths and arranging the hanging baskets.

Eilidh Cooks To Victory Boghall Butchers Take out Top Shop

Atalented young chef, who lives on her family’s farm near Mintlaw, is combining her love of food and farming to help achieve early success in the hospitality industry.

Eilidh Davidson emerged as the overall winner in the Scotch Beef Young Aspiring Chef Challenge after a cook-off final at Taste of Grampian held at Thainstone earlier this year.

The competition, sponsored by QMS, gives young chefs the opportunity to demonstrate their innovation and talent as well as highlighting the quality of local produce like Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork.

Eilidh, a 17 year old student studying Professional Cookery at North East Scotland College in Aberdeen, won her way through from a shortlist of seven to the final, when she cooked against fellow North East Scotland College student, and last year’s winner, Brogan Tilney.

Eilidh lives with her parents Leslie and Maureen and brothers Stewart, Fraser and Finlay on the family farm, West Cortiecram near Mintlaw.

Leslie Davidson said: “Eilidh enjoyed cooking from a very young age and used to bake, initially helping her mum and then on her own. She was pretty good –there would be the occasional disaster but she stuck to it!” West Cortiecram is a 550 acre mixed farm, owned and run by the Davidson family who also rent and contract farm another 200 acres. The family has 500 continental finishing cattle and 1750 feeding lambs.

Eilidh said: “I like to help on the farm whenever I can. Some people don’t understand where their food comes from but, having been brought up on a farm, I really appreciate the hours of hard work that go into looking after the animals and how that leads to a top quality food product.

“Scotch Beef is my favourite ingredient - I find it really versatile. You can do so many things with all the different cuts. When I was

deciding on my menu for the challenge I knew right from the start that I wanted to have beef as the main course.”

Eilidh used fillet of beef, which she bought from Donald Russell in Inverurie in her award-winning menu. “It was important to me to use a piece of local beef –I like to know where my ingredients come from.”

Her winning menu was a main course of Fillet of Scotch Beef, fondant potatoes, leek and mushroom stew, red wine and shallot sauce. This was followed by a dessert of baked vanilla cheesecake, lemon curd ice-cream and macerated strawberries.

“Robert Bruce, one of the lecturers on my course, encouraged me to enter and I felt that if Robert thought that I could do it then I had to give it a try. It was the first cookery competition I had ever done and I didn’t know what to expect.

“There was an awful lot to do in the hour we had allocated, however I had practiced the menu a few times and I was quite confident I would get it all done. Although I did find it really off-putting having all the people watching and having to talk to the commentator made it tricky!”

The final was judged by three judges, including award-winning cook and food writer Lady Claire MacDonald. Points were awarded for technique and skills, presentation and flavour.

Eilidh said: “It was a really close competition, with only two points in it. Lady Claire Macdonald particularly like my pudding so I think that may have swung it in my favour.”

Eilidh’s first prize is a one week Hospitality Industry Trust Scotland Scholarship, which can be tailored to her future career, a £200 voucher for kitchen equipment and a signed cook book from Lady Claire Macdonald. Eilidh is aiming for a career in cookery and currently works part-time at The Lodge in Strichen, a restaurant and coffee shop, during term time and full time in her holidays.

Butchers from Scotland were among the top award winners at the Butcher's Shop of the Year Awards, run by Meat Trades Journal.

Boghall Butchers from Bathgate was named Scottish Butcher's Shop of the Year and Lisa Finnigan of Davidsons Specialist Butchers in Inverurie was named UK Young Butcher of the Year at the annual event held recently in Leeds. The Butcher's Shop of the Year awards seek out the best butcher and farm shops across the UK, as well as recognizing the rising stars of the industry.

Boghall Butchers lifted the award for Scottish Butcher's Shop of the Year, sponsored by the Scotch Butchers Club run by Quality Meat Scotland, following a substantial investment to extend and completely refurbish the premises.

Boghall Butchers is a family-run business founded in 1975. Commenting on their achievement, owner of Boghall Butchers, Paul Boyle said: "This award means so much to us and I am incredibly proud of our staff for all their hard work.

"The last year has seen a number of changes to the business following our refurbishment, which has virtually doubled the size of our front shop.

"It was a big investment for us but it has been well worth it and to be named Scottish Butcher's Shop of the Year only goes to highlight the progress we have made."

Boghall Butchers beat stiff competition from other successful Scottish butchers – including John Lawson Butchers from Broxburn and Patricks of Camelon from Falkirk – to lift the award.

UK Young Butcher of the Year, Lisa Finnigan of Davidsons in Inverurie, was also representing the high standard of the butchery trade in Scotland. Following in the footsteps of colleague Andrew Peter who took the title in 2013, Lisa came out top in this year's competition to r ecognise young talent in the butchery world.

Graeme Sharp, Marketing Executive at Quality Meat Scotland, said: "Boghall Butchers are at the top of their trade and very deserving of this award.

"The team has put so much into delivering great quality products to customers and it is fantastic to see the business recognised for its dedication to delivering a very high standard of products and service.

"It was also great to see Lisa rewarded for her achievements. She is a fantastic ambassador for the industry and an inspiring example of just what can be possible in the industry through hard work and determination."

SCANNING ROUND THE WORLD

Gathering Corridales for scanning –Chile

To many, scanning sheep may seem a rather repetitive, cold job –but for Duncan Kennedy of Thornhill, Dumfriesshire, scanning has given him a ‘round the world’ ticket –across four continents.

From Patagonian Chile to the United Arab Emirates and Norway to New Zealand, Duncan has scanned millions of sheep, cows and even a camel and taught and inspired many scanners and wannabe scanners en route.

“I do a lot of training now of people who have bought scanning equipment and others thinking of starting out. A percentage do not have the manual dexterity to do it, some find it too difficult. The ones who have invested finance and time commitment are usually successful,” shared Duncan, who started scanning back in 1989 and teaching some four or five years later.

Duncan initially became involved with sheep scanning, when following his degree in

Immunology and an MSc in Animal Production, he worked for the Rowat Research Institute’s Sheep Reproduction Unit.

“I managed the commercial AI unit. A lot of the early sheep AI in this country was done there,” commented Duncan, who carries out cervical AI on around 2000, mainly pedigree Texels in July, to compliment his scanning business.

“It is a very annoying part of the business as we can’t walk away from the job. With scanning you are providing a business service and hand over the results immediately –with AI –you have to wait months for the results!”

Duncan was one of the first few to use a sector scanner or ‘walk through’ in Scotland –previously all sheep had to be turned over –

linear scanning.

“It made a big difference to the ease of throughput –it is a lot less hassle for the sheep and the farmer.”

Nowadays when someone buys a scanner from Bellshill based BCF Technology, in Lanarkshire, training is included in the package and Duncan is the main man. Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Holland, the Island of Texel, France, Germany and Spain have all been on his rounds. In the past three years Ballynahinch in Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland have been added to the list.

The more outlandish destinations include the United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Qatar –Doha, Tehran, New Zealand and Chile.

“Some courses I’m only away a couple of

days, but further afield, say Chile I’ll be away for a fortnight. The ideal ratio is two trainees to a coach, but in the more distant countries not many can scan, so groups can be larger. Chile is interesting, as I have to deliver through an interpreter –it is a very different form of coaching as I cannot use side stories as it can get confusing. We have to keep to key points and keep emphasising. There, I had nine trainees and had to select the best two or three, who were then given the work,” explained Duncan, who has completed three trips to Patagonian Chile, mainly scanning Corriedale sheep.

“In Chile the twin bearing ewes are kept in enclosures away from the pumas.”

He has found the different cultures and experiences fascinating. “The Kiwis have the most efficient sheep systems.”

David, his 22 year old son, who has joined the business, is just back from a couple of months in New Zealand, scanning 100 000 sheep. “I analysed the results and the average yeld for the whole lot was 3.02%. These guys put us to shame. They put a minimum of 100 ewes to a ram and they are not fed any hard feed. There is such a variation in this country –we are nowhere near it. Even the better end of cross ewes here still tally 5% empties.”

“New Zealanders concentrate on the bits that matter for their production system –easy lambing –they don’t need staff. Sheep need to breed well, they are bred to lamb themselves. If they don’t they won’t keep them –they are totally ruthless.

“If it is a bad year, say drought, they cut their sheep numbers. No one in an office is telling them to keep 500! They can adapt to the environment they are in. The Kiwis have taken to scanning in a big way since the 1990’s.

“I was out for three months in 2001 running a course for 10-12 Kiwi scanners. Previously many Australian and New Zealand scanners just scanned ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ –where ‘wet’ is in-lamb. For triplets you need a sound technique –Kiwis lacked the confidence for identifying the triplets.

“In the UK if you couldn’t scan triplets it would be no use. More Kiwis are now looking after their triplets.

“David has been to New Zealand the last two years –he is at the right age for it –I loved it but it was difficult as I had a young family at the time.”

Duncan found that the sheep systems in the different countries varied hugely. In Tehran for example there was very little management and everything ran together.

“We scanned the sheep on a dairy farm, which milked 30 000 cows, producing 30 litres

/day, so I suppose like many dairy farms here, the sheep were an after thought. I was working with vets there.”

Duncan finds it interesting to see the many different ways that people use accurate scanning information depending on their farming systems. Using their own design of crate and drafting system, the Kennedys can sort three ways, splitting into either, singles/ multiples and empties or by due date. They are currently working on and trialling an EID system, which will be able to download the scanning results for each ewe direct onto customers computer programs.

Over the years Duncan has seen sheep numbers on hill properties increase in line with headage subsidies and lambing

percentages in turn fall. “Generally yeld counts on hill farms are higher than previously. It could be due to less folk shepherding, poorer quality of tups “being pushed too hard’ or the environment. When I was at the Rowat, 1 in every score was empty at lambing, but very few hill places will have that figure now –they are more likely to have a couple to a score empty at scanning.”

Duncan finds on lower ground, flocks scanning between 184-190% have a fairly high percentage of twins, anything over 190% will have more triplets.

Since Foot & Mouth Duncan has found it harder to source ewes for early lambing training courses in early November. “When I started scanning I practiced on a rugby mate’s

four heifers tied in a byre at Ardrossan and some ewes. I scanned his ewes four times, twice one day and twice a week later and left a 24 day period before rescanning the heifers,”commented Duncan, who uses a backpack scanner on cattle, while son David uses a machine.

In the early days no vets scanned sheep or cattle, but now most practices have a scanner. The Kennedys are kept busy scanning both beef and dairy herds year round, sorting them into calving groups. They have some larger jobs in Perthshire and on Bute, but on the whole work round SW Scotland and the North of England.

With a lull after the pedigree sheep, both David and Duncan will be working 7 days a week from Christmas to March.

Dogs, horses, pigs, goats, a few alpacas and a camel in Dubai have all passed under the eagle eye of Mr Kennedy as well as hundreds of thousands of sheep and thousands of cattle, in his time as a scanner.

In down time David plays the accordion in his ceilidh band and has been guest band on Robbie Shepherd’s take the floor on two occasions so far.

Duncan and his wife have four sons, of which David is second eldest. Ewen works for Diagio, James is a roofer and the youngest is currently at college in Hartbury studying Sports Performance and Excellence in Rugby. He previously played for Glasgow under 18’s.

As the days become colder, the Kennedys get busier and rattle hundreds of ewes though their scanning crates, helping farming families make decisions prior to thier busiest time of year –lambing.

NQF Hosts Successful Open Day

Northumbrian Quality Feeds (NQF) recently held a successful Nutritional Open Day, which was very well attended by over 70 of the leading farmers and landowners in the Northumberland area. ‘Facing on going challenges with basic nutrition’ was the theme of the recent meeting held by NQF at their Easington, Belford base. Speakers on the night were well known local veterinary surgeon Joe Henry (MRCVS) of Alnorthumbria Veterinary Group, Alistair Macrae (MRCVS) from the Royal DICK School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, and John Kelso Technical Manager for Trouw Nutrition GB.

Joe Henry opened the meeting with a very strong message on how basic nutrition can help efficiencies in both suckler beef and sheep i.e. average recorded calves born per cow is 86% (14 cows in 100 do not produce a calf on an annual basis). Similarly the average number of lambs reared per lowland ewe is 155% (1.55 lambs reared per ewe), Joe asked the question of what happened to all those flocks with scanning figures of 200% or more?

Joe went on to highlight how these basic animal performances could be enhanced. The message was carried forward by Alistair Macrae, detailing how the application of basic nutrition could be used to improve animal performance. As well as forage analysis being a guide to performance Alistair outlined in detail how blood testing at critical times could be a very useful bit of kit in the ‘tool box’. Blood testing ewes prior to tupping to establish mineral and trace element levels and also pregnant ewes one month prior to lambing, will check the nutritional plans are on course for a successful lambing both in terms of energy, protein and minerals

John Kelso continued the theme of the meeting by outlining the basic principles of both major minerals and trace elements, highlighting the numerous ways in which these can be administrated to stock with examples such as blocks, powdered minerals, drenches, boluses etc.

Commenting following the meeting, John Naylor of NQF, said: “We as a team are delighted to endorse the work of these three professionals and apply their ideas on a day to day basis. We realise the importance of good research throughout the year to implement any nutritional plan as the best way to get the most from your livestock.”

With both cattle and sheep making headlines at either end of the financial spectrum it remains vitally important to focus closely on basic nutritional factors.

Forage

Be it pit silage, big bale silage, or hay quality this season forage is very variable.

• Dry Matter (DM) - In silage tested it is ranging from 17-50%+ DM. Dry Matter Intake (DMI) is key to animal performance, if they are not eating the stuff they won’t perform. Wet silage will potentially ‘belly’ young cattle and is often very acidic resulting in poor intake. Likewise for pregnant ewes wet silage is not suitable, resulting in prolapse and inadequate DMI.

• Energy - Energy levels are slightly lower than average this year and should be monitored closely to enable maximum animal performance.

• Protein - Crude proteins in tested silage are in general this season well below average. In many situations especially growing cattle and pregnant ewes extra protein supplementation will be necessary.

• Minerals and Trace Elements - As is usual minerals and trace elements vary from year to year and this year is no exception.

Cereals

The general view throughout the country is that cereal bushel weights are high with protein levels low. Monitoring of grain for home mixes will be of great value this season.

NQF is a family run business based at Easington near Belford, Northumberland. They supply both conventional and organic feed, minerals, feed blocks, buckets and liquid feeds. It is the only feed company in the county with its own compound feed plant, which produces a range of nuts, rolls, pellets, mixtures and blends. In addition to this the team at NQF can provide forage analysis, forage mineral analysis, blood testing, ration formulation and enterprise analysis.

In conclusion to the successful evening John Naylor said: “The ongoing challenges to the farming industry are there to be faced, and with bespoke tailoring of nutritional packages we can work with any farmer to get the most from their livestock.”

For more information about the tailor made ration formulations or NQF please contact John Naylor on 07816213801 or his colleague Will Hopkins Agri-Livestock Specialist on 07496828053 or email enquiries@northumberlandqualityfeeds.co.uk.

From Thistle to Fern

The Story of the Scottish Pioneers and the New Zealand High Country Sheep Stations

by Eilidh MacPherson

Ten years ago this month, the book –From Thistle to Fern –came to fruition and landed on the shelves of book shops across the country, both here and in New Zealand. I’ve decided to print a chapter each month in the coming issues of the magazine.

Having shorn in New Zealand for several seasons, I always longed to shear on, and visit a High Country Sheep Station. During my time writing for the New Zealand Farmer magazine, this dream came true. I took a stand in the renowned 12-stand Mount Linton shearing shed for six weeks and traveled the country visiting Sheep Stations and unearthing their ‘Scottish’ history.

The Scots and the New Zealanders have ties dating back to the 1840’s and well before.

It must be noted that the first person of Scottish descent to arrive in New Zealand in 1772 was James Cook – this point is often overlooked as he was brought up in Yorkshire, but his father came from Roxburgh in the Scottish borders, where he had been a farm labourer.

There are many factors contributing to the Scots emigrating to America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. As the Lowland and English Landlords moved the people of the Highlands and Islands off the land, to be replaced by more profitable Cheviot sheep, conditions in Scottish industrial cities became crowded and as the old customs of clan, covenant and communities seemed to be disappearing, emigration and the opportunity of owning some land was a bright option.

Where are those bold pilots now? Alas! They’re buried in the ground, Their children scattered the world around, Their houses levelled to a mound To make room for farmers’ sheep And lowland cattle fat and sleek, Grazing in the very street Where once Holm village stood.

John MacKinnon Napier, New Zealand, 1898 But it was religious, Scottish immigrants who had a major influence on early developments in the South Island. The first ship – The Bengal Merchant – sailed from Port Glasgow on 25 October 1839 arriving in Dunedin (Gaelic for Edinburgh –‘Duneidean’) on the 20 February 1840 – just two weeks after the signing of the treaty of Waitangai – with 122 passengers aboard accompanied by the minister –John Macfarlane.

These Scots had been members of the Church of Scotland and had broken away to form a Free Church; being able to choose their own ministers rather than the state or local landlords appointing them.

It is estimated that by the early 1870’s one in three, New Zealanders of the then 220 000 population, were Scottish Presbyterians. And even today the majority of Kiwis can boast some Scottish connection in their lineage.

The early settlers endured hardships, taking weeks if not months to drove stock to their runs, through dense tussock, wild Irishman scrub and spear grass as well as fording bridgeless rivers and boggy ground. Initially some of the runholders in theHigh Country were English (Sassenachs), but due to the extremes of climate (Sahara type summers to Baltic winters), high winds and isolation, in the Mackenzie Country, the Poms

From Thistle to Fern

moved to warmer, more populated climes and left the MacKenzie Country to the Scottish shepherds. These hardy souls, brought up in windswept glens and heather clad slopes of the Scottish Highlands, were well accustomed to severe weather conditions and their canine cohorts – the collie dogs were used to operating on similar terrain and working at distance from their masters.

Around 80% of the inhabitants were Scottish with the majority being Gaelic speaking. To this day the area still has a Highland air with the skirl of the pipes, kilts worn at functions, highland gatherings and the names: Burnett, Cameron, MacKenzie, Murray and Urqhart are still household entities on MacKenzie stations.

Sheep were predominantly reared on these runs and the main income generated was from the sale of their wool. Once the properties were fully stocked, only a limited

local market was available for the sale of mutton. Carcases were boiled down for tallow, as there was no other alternative. By 1882, two Scots, William Davidson and Thomas Brydone were instrumental in changing the whole structure of sheep farming in New Zealand by making the first shipment of refrigerated lamb (frozen) to the UK and opening up expansive overseas markets. This factor revolutionised New Zealand farming: station country remained as wool growing areas, but the lower hills produced lambs to be finished on the fertile plains.

Thomas Brydone was to the fore once again pioneering methods in topdressing, using lime to restore deteriorating grassland and increase stock numbers on the lower ground.

‘S gur h-e Otago am fearann priseil, Le cruithneachd finealt ’se cinntinn ann,

Introduction

Coirce ‘s grainnseach gu torach, lanmhor, Is por gun aireamh a’fas air t’fhonn.

It’s in Otago the land is fertile, And wheat that is finest is growing there, Oats with grain that is filled with kernels, And plants unnumbered the soil supports.

From these hard pioneering days, New Zealand has become one of the leading agricultural nations in the world in terms of production, exporting and technology

Since these early days, some stations are no longer, some have been sub-divided for soldier settlement and others have changed hands many times. In general the low ground has become more productive with top-dressing and break cropping and the higher country is very much farmed in the same way as it was, used as summer grazing. Beef cattle, deer and tourism are other enterprises common place on many stations nowadays.

The clock struck twelve – lunchtime.

‘Thank goodness’, I thought as I pushed the last lamb down the porthole and pulled the stop cord. With every muscle aching, I eased myself down off the raised board and made my way to the sink to wash down my arms, which were smeared with grease and green filth from fingertips to armpits.

With borrowed shearing gear, moccasins at least two sizes too big, shearing pants quite the reverse and the fact that I hadn’t lifted a handpiece for at least six months, the morning had lasted an eternity. My slimline Fagans were under severe pressure. The live weight gained from ad lib feeding over the

festive period would have been a joy to any finishing farmer, but to me it felt as if my stomach was being operated on every time I bent over to crutch another lamb.

As we wandered out of the dimly lit shed into glorious sunshine, I was beginning to wonder if I had lost the plot. a new millennium and here I was back on the board, suffering big time on my first day, head down, bum up. Surely I could do something else and see more of the awesome country and sunshine in New Zealand, rather than just the inside of the shearing sheds and making do with sight seeing on wet days. I had been captivated by the high country and read numerous books on the stations during

Preface

my previous three shearing trips to NZ. Realising that the Scottish angle had not been covered I decided to follow in the footsteps of my kinsmen who had pioneered vast tracts of this amazing country, taking up runs, developing them and introducing sheep, some hundred and fifty years before. Many of their descendants are still farming them today and the Scottish hills and glens are accentuated in countless station, creek and mountain range place names throughout the country. I enjoyed every minute of my travels round the Sheep Stations of NZ, having been welcomed with open arms and received true High Country hospitality in every sense of the word.

My dream of visiting the high country stations had finally become reality –I set out from the country town of Winton, where I had been staying on farm with friends, with mixed emotions of excitement and trepidation. Destination: –Mount Linton.

Several years prior, on my last trip to the ‘Land of the Big White Cloud,’ I had visited Mount Linton Station with my brother Allan and his friend Angus Davidson, aka ‘Goose’. Sheep dipping/spraying 30 000 ewes was in full swing and we three Scottish Highlanders were in absolute awe of the whole scale of the operation. One of the shepherds had taken us out to a hill block to muster a mob of 11 000 ewes. At home sheep are grazed with roughly six acres to the sheep, not six sheep to the acre and a farm with 2000 or 3000 ewes is considered large.

Passing through the dingy coalmining town of Ohai, the stark contrast and beauty of the rolling green hills of Mount Linton unfolded beyond.

As I turned the last corner towards the station buildings, the colossal woolshed and covered yards loomed into the horizon. Several shepherds were busily occupied drafting ewes.

My tour guide for the morning, Assistant Farm Manager Dave Walsh, pulled up on cue in a white Toyota Hilux laden with an assortment of dogs. Realising that I was Scottish, Dave excitedly announced, “our cattle manager is from Aberdeenshire – you might understand him!”

As we drove round the 130km of station roads he filled me in on the history and farming practices of Mount Linton which is situated on the eastern side of the Takitimu Mountains and lies 56kms north west of the most Southerly City in New Zealand –Invercargill. Covering some 13 000ha in area, this rolling to steep property, which lies at an altitude of 120 to 800m, is small in comparison to some of the high country stations in Central Otago, further north.

“The property was established in 1854, but the records of ownership until 1903 are vague as it changed hands frequently.

W.J.A. McGregor, grandfather of Alastair McGregor, the current Executive Chairman purchased it at this juncture, for its grazing ability of the hill country,” said Dave.

J W Raymond is the first person recorded to hold Run 156, the now Mt Linton. His tenure was to run for 14 years from August 7 1857 but he transferred it to William Cameron (whose brother Donald had Nokomai Station). Other names to be associated with the station before the McGregors took over in 1903 are: John Slade Manning, Thomas Morrel Macdonald and William Russell, Alexander McIntosh Clark, the Bank of New South Wales and a Reginald Mackinnon.

William James Annan McGregor, a Presbyterian minister’s son was born at Kaiapoi in 1874. He was educated at Amberley before he started farming at Kaikoura, where he married Ellen Boyd in 1900. He took Mount Linton Station up in partnership with Edward Gates in 1903,

before he went out on his own.

WJA McGregor was very much a committee man, being involved with the local mine, railway, County council, A&P Show, NZ Meat Producers Board, Invercargill Rotary Club as well as serving as an elder in the Nightcaps Presbyterian church.

Apparently previous owners suffered from isolation, rabbit infestation and heavy flood and snow losses, but Mr McGregor turned the tables by large scale reseeding. His son Noel followed suit, importing machinery from England and clearing around 500ha per year and increasing production.

As a young boy Noel McGregor was friendly with Douglas Pick of neighbouring Birchwood Station. Mr Pick, of English descent noted as a ten year old boy that: We had not long been in Birchwood before realizing that we were the only English people there. All the rest were Scots from the Isles or West of Scotland.

Some had been crofters – such good neighbours they proved to be too. Most were new arrivals and I remember them coming and how they lived and worked. They took up blocks of land – 500 to 800 acres and they dug into the hillside and made a hole of 15-20 feet back, 10 –12 ft wide and roofed it with timbers over which they laid manuka brush and put a mound of clay on top. The front they timbered up and the door was a split chaff sack, the table a packing case, the chair a box and the bunk a pole frame with a bag mattress. The fireplace was in the back end clay wall with a sod chimney. They got their water from the stream.

Their first job was to clear the land and get in a crop of oats and neaps before sowing down to grass. These men roughed it – and they all made good. They, that is, the married men, left their wives and bairns in Dunedin or Invercargill until the first house was built. They were lonely and rarely met other men. Dad had four children, so he called a meeting in the station woolshed to discuss a Settlers’ Association and plan a school, a meeting place and a church. It transpired that there was no money for such buildings and it was decided that meetings and church continue to use the woolshed, except when it was needed at shearing time. School was a problem as the woolshed was too large and draughty in winter. There were nine children of school age but the Southland Education Board could not build a school for so few children. The lack of a school was solved by the cheese factory manager who offered one of the front rooms of his house.

Church was a monthly occasion. We all went to the woolshed. People came in all sorts of vehicles. The parson was a Presbyterian of course. He hammered the pulpit (wool table) and I was sure he was only preaching to me. Hellfire and brimstone pits and lakes of fire. How did he know so much about me? All my wicked past paraded before me in a flash. Lies I had told, orchards I had robbed, and windows I had smashed. The time I had tried to smoke Dad’s pipe in the dunny. Girls pigtails I had pulled or tied to the inkwell holes in my desk. That stack I had tried to burn and that recent escapade at church when Noel McGregor and I put old McKay’s buggy shafts through the fence and yoked up his horse so that the buggy was on one side and the horse on the other! Wasn’t there a stink about that? Nobody knew, or so I thought – but that parson seemed to know.

What good people these Scots were. Every time they called they brought a dozen eggs or a plate of

scones and always enquired about the ‘coos’ and the bairns and the wee wife, in that order. If a Scottish woman heard of anybody sick, they would arrange for one of their strapping girls to came and take over and do the housework and look after the children. How careful those folk were with the pennies but how generous they were in good causes.

James Noel McGregor, the second son, was educated at John McGlashan College, before he took on part of the management of Mount Linton following the death of his older brother Hector in 1925. Noel married Leslie Holbeche on 8 January 1938 and they had two children: Alastair and Virginia.

Over a thirty seven year period Noel had more than doubled the stock carrying capacity of the property: from 11 000 sheep, 4 500 lambs and 120 cattle in 1925 to 25 000

sheep, 18 000 lambs, 3000 cattle and 1200 calves by 1957. Nowadays stock numbers tally at an amazing 60 000 ewes, 16 000 ewe hoggets and 6000 other sheep, 1700 breeding cattle and 1550 followers.

Noel was instrumental in the developing of private hill country in New Zealand, being the first landowner to employ a pilot to fly on a 100-tonne load of superphosphate in 1949. He was tragically killed by gunshot on 5 May 1958 which the Southland Times reported: “Southland has lost one of the most remarkable farmers in its history.” His son Alastair took over the management of Mount Linton.

Prior to the First World War, Mount Linton covered some 61 000 acres. With the Government intervening for soldier settlement, it was consequently reduced to 15 500ha. Alastair retired 2500ha for

conservation purposes in lieu of a tenure review, which involved granting a freehold title to the rest of the property, bringing the spread to its present size.

Mount Linton property now boasts 4500ha of developed grassland, 3500ha of over sown tussock country, 240ha of radiata pine trees, 250ha of fenced off native bush reserve and the remainder is native tussock. Paddocks on the hill country are around 150ha in size and on the cultivated ground are on average 50ha. They are mob-stocked and grazed in rotation.

Over 130km of road, ribbons round the station and an estimated 800km of fencing covers the contours and plains of paddocks and easy-move stock lanes. Natural Woloncough gravel, which is found on the property is used as road metal, so is a great saving.

The Station, one of New Zealand’s largest, privately owned, pastoral agribusinesses is run as a company and incorporates several other farms further afield, which are used for stud and finishing purposes. It is also stratified as such with managers on each outlying property, a cattle manager, stock manager and assistant manager (Dave) on site, with General Manager, Paul McCarthy overseeing the whole operation. Major shareholder, Alastair McGregor has the final

say. The company’s objective is to be pre-eminent in the production of livestock and in achieving long-term financial returns for its’ shareholders. Other employees include: 2 office staff, 10 shepherds, 1 tractor driver, 1 dozer operator, 1 truck driver, 3 domestic/garden staff and a cook.

Two properties of 480ha have recently been leased at Ashburton, on the Canterbury Plains.

After a thorough tour and run down on the history, policies and production of the station, Dave dropped me off at the cattle yards where cattle manager Ronald Watt (Scottie) and shepherd Michael Lunn (Polly) were drafting out cull cows.

“You’ll be coming to the speed shear in the local pub tonight, we’re supplying the sheep,” Dave said as I was climbing out of the truck.

“Yes, I’m actually covering it for the Southland Times,” I replied.

“Well stop in for a shower and your dinner beforehand at the house,” he said before taking off towards the homestead. This was my introduction to High Country kindness, not unlike the Highland hospitality encountered by those who have travelled to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

I spent the rest of the afternoon helping Ronald and Mike coax cattle up the race in

between periodically clicking away on my camera to get the perfect shot.

Mount Linton Station, claimed to be the most productive station property per acre in New Zealand, has employed the ‘Real McCoy’ to oversee their expanding Aberdeen Angus Stud and commercial cattle enterprises. Born under the ‘Northern Lights’ at Dufftown, some thirty miles North West of the City of Aberdeen, Scotland, Ronald (31), alias ‘Scottie,’ has certainly landed on his feet in Southland, holding the position of Cattle Manager on this prominent station.

“Farming is very similar out here to back home, but done on a much bigger scale, more intensively,” Scottie commented.

Hereford cattle used to roam the green hills of Mount Linton, but when neighbouring Wilanda Downs Station sold up, Alastair McGregor bought some Aberdeen Angus stud cows, which originated from the Canterbury, Te Mania Stud. Since then Mount Linton have gone into an AI program and imported semen from America and Australia.

Over the past five years the Angus Stud numbers have risen annually from 280 cows in 1996. Last year there were 540, this year 600 calved and 800 including the heifers are in-calf for next season.

Every year 400 to 600 cows are artificially inseminated with Angus semen from proven

sires – using CIDR’s to synchronize ovulation. Selected Angus bulls are used on the remainder and on the commercial herd with three or four running with each mob. There are also eight or nine mobs, which are single sire mated – these bulls cover 40 - 45 dams each.

Record keeping of the stud cattle plays a large part of the cattle manager’s role with all the pure Angus calves weighed, ear tagged and recorded at birth. The Herefords have been crossed with Angus, of which 120 are kept each year as replacements for the commercial herd. These beasts are injected with 2ml of Prostaglandin, to bring on heat in 48 hours and are then covered by ten bulls –this method condenses calving into a six-week period. There are only forty pure Herefords left now.

The cattle play a vital role in utilizing the grassland thus improving the grazing for the sheep,” explained Dave. “During the winter months the cattle are hot wired on the tops of the back blocks and run in one mob of 1200, with the heifers separately.”

Before wintering the cattle are treated with a pour-on for lice and injected with Selenium and Copper. The latter seems to be very deficient on the Station.

Two hundred bulls (150 1yo and 50 2yo), which are sold privately from the station each

year, have dramatically increased the gross margin of the cattle enterprise on Mount Linton. The sires are selected for home use by breeding values, birth weights and live weight gain and the remainder are sorted into price lines and prospective buyers are shown around. The average weight of the bulls at weaning is 260kgs. Assistant farm manager, David Walsh enthuses, “Over the past few years the cattle live weights have increased by 45kgs – this is due to increased genetics and improved cattle management.”

At weaning, heifer calves (replacements) are placed in three pits in two hundred lots for six months. These consist of a self-feed silage pit with push up barriers and wood chipped surfaced lying areas. The steers and cull heifer calves go to the finishing farms, with five hundred being sold at 450kgs to ‘Five Star’ feedlot at Ashburton – making Mount Linton the largest single supplier to Five Star. This enterprise, New Zealand’s only feedlot, carries 12 000 head of cattle at any time and supplies the Asian market, finishing the beasts to 750kgs.

Every beast, including calves are TB tested annually. A number of years ago Mt Linton had a reactor, which was presumably transmitted by wild pigs from the scrub on the property. It has now been clear for a year – C1 status and all offspring are finished.

Purchasing cattle from a C1 status property immediately transfers the vendors status to the new owner.

That evening, following a refreshing shower and meal, courtesy of Dave’s wife, Diane, I headed back to Ohai and the pink coloured pub – ‘The Pick and Shears’.

As I walked from my wee Honda Civic towards the pub, I met Mick Keay from Whangarei, a shearer who had competed at my annual shearing competition on the Isle of Skye the previous year. He was shearing for a local contractor for a few months before heading north again.

The pub was beginning to fill up with budding gun shearers all gearing for a fast time and a share of the spoils. Juniors, locals, seniors, veterans and open candidates raced against the clock to secure some of the limelight and a place in the four-man final. Each competitor had to shear one lamb as quickly as possible, but still maintaining a quality job. Three judges eyed the finished product and gave a green light for ‘go’ and a red one for ‘no’. At least two green lights were required to make the final. Over the past few years Speed Shears have become part of the New Zealand culture not only in country pubs but also in town garden bars and nightclubs.

Veterans entertained the crowd in the

almost tropical conditions in the packed Ohai Hotel. Local man Ken Jackson fended off his brother Dave to take first place by just over 6 seconds and local contractor Jim Malcolm of Western Southland Shearing, who organises Mount Linton’s machine shearing was third, only 0.06secs slower.

As a shearer I was itching to have a go, but restrained from making a spectacle of myself as I hadn’t lifted a handpiece for at least 6 months and not shorn a lamb since my last visit to New Zealand in 1994.

Darren Murray, a ganger for Jim Malcolm, lifted the trophy for the best local with a speedy time of 40.68secs. (pictured left)

Successful open circuit competitor and NZ Team member for the 2000 World Shearing Championships in Bloemfontein, South Africa, Darrin Forde was beaten by a blow –0.14sec – by Cartwright Terry of Cambridge, in the North Island.

Most of the people whom I’d met on the Station earlier in the day were there for the evening entertainment with a few extras that I was introduced to. Stock Manager, Bart Sherbourne suggested that I should meet up with them all and report on the Mossburn Hack Races in a couple of weeks time.

CAN-AM OUTLANDER 6X6 ON TRIAL

Great excitment here a fortnight ago as we trialled a six-wheeler for the first time –the CAN-AM Outlander 6x6 XT. The Tri-Mode dynamic power steering is a winner on rough hill ground. With three options, each mode is designed to offer less assist at high speed for better precision and more assist at low speed for easier steering. Direct Link technology ensures fast response and less kickback.

Richard deliberately drove through a bog, in which I had previously sunk the Honda, to see how the 6x6 coped. Needless to say he got stuck, but the WARN winch with roller fairlead, attached to a nearby fence, aided his rescue and pulled him out with ease.

The double seat is extremely comfortable in both sitting and standing positions and has ample room for a passenger.

For situations that require optimal traction and as much contact with the terrain at hand, the Outlander 6x6 offers both 4x6 and 6x6 operation with its Visco-Lok QE. Once 6x6 is selected, the system intelligently transfers power from the slipping front wheel to the opposing wheel with traction and is not hampered by speed or rev limiters. The progressively and automatically locking front differential system requires no additional buttons to push or levers to hold. In 4x6 mode, all four rear wheels provide traction.

The Continuously Variable Transmission ((CVT) on the Outlander 6x6 has an extra low

low range L-gear to allow for an increased workload and a softer engagement for smooth starts. Its CVT intake features improved cooling for increased efficiency in work conditions.

Attachments for the back cargo bed include a log bar, which would be ideal for fencers or forestry work and a hard top cargo box. Tracks for rough terrain are also available. All in all we were well impressed with the machine –good speed, smooth ride, tight turning circle despite its size, plenty load space and comfort.

With the cargo box fitted on the back it will be an ideal motor for the hill, much easier to manoeuvre than a quad and trailer.

For a test drive and quote please contact John Yuile ATV Services at the number below.

Eleven teams lined up anxiously awaiting the start of the final fixture of the 2015 season. The Borders rally is reputed as the toughest round of the challenge due to the mix of extreme conditions and the skill and determination required to conquer it. Combining the speed of stage rallies, roughness of hill rallies, extreme conditions of a Scottish winter and set over two days, the challenge is one of endurance as much as skill and to top it off, one of the most gruelling of the 13 stages is set at night. It is a mammoth battle of man against nature and the weapon of choice, the humble Land Rover Defender.

The daunting 100.1 stage miles was set over 13 stages, eight on day one and five on day two and taking in lochs, dams, quarries and forest stretched over imposing hills and deep valleys below, an apt backdrop for the drama that ensued as the Challengers took to the field to secure their championship places.

The opening three stages delivered little surprises in the running order with Sturgess Land Rover's Edd Cobley and John Tomley establishing a lead above Lookers Land Rover's Gareth Carruthers and is co-driver and Lookers Land Rover's incentive winner Fraser Ward. With The Defenderists in 5th position, the fight for the final place on the podium was on between team Palmer and Northern Ireland Racing who were tied in 3rd.

The Defender Challenge 2015 reached its climax at The Scottish Hill Rallies Club's 'Borders' rally at Forrest Estate, Castle Douglas, Scotland recently.

After a repeat of the first three stages and a second service, the crisp winter daylight made way to a wet dusk and stage seven lay ahead with Northern Ireland establishing a nine second lead on Palmer. A short but brutal stage, with fast quarry sections and steep climbs, the so-called 'moonscape' of stage seven looked set to be the toughest challenge yet but by the end of it, Defender after Defender returned to the bivouac remarkably unscathed.

However, the drivers and codrivers were starting to flag and after a short break they readied themselves for stage eight, the final challenge of the day, a long, dark slog twice the average of the previous seven stages.

Pushing the boundaries of fatigue and running on pure adrenaline, the teams headed out for the final stage. In varying shades of excitement and trepidation the 11 Defender 90s took their places at the start line. With engines revving high and ready, one by one the teams headed out into the pitch-black night led by Sturgess and then Lookers and with limited visibility of the track ahead.

After a cornering manoeuvre went wrong, Northern Ireland Racing's Defender lay on its roof in a ditch putting a halt to proceedings whilst a the recovery mission ensued.

Whilst Palmer and Hayward pushed ahead, organisers decided to cancel the stage due to the delay in recovering Northern Ireland Racing and the rest of the Challengers returned to the bivouac

disappointed not to have been able to compete. Into the night the Bowler team worked to make repairs to the damaged Northern Ireland Racing Defender replacing broken glass and repairing damaged bodywork, determined that the vehicle would be on its wheels the following day for the final outing of the season.

Day two opened to cold but clear conditions and word at the bivouac was that the stages were even more rough after the

previous day's exploits. Those teams unable to compete in stage eight were each awarded a 20 minutes 10 second notional timing and the leaderboard stood with Sturgess' Cobley and Tomley one minute and nine seconds ahead of Looker's Carruthers and Ward.

The battle for bronze looked all but lost for Northern Ireland Racing who had slipped to the bottom of the table leaving Palmer and The Defenderists to go head to head for third place. Northern Ireland Racing's David Johnston however was pleased to still race his Defender on the final day of the season having failed to complete the Borders event on two occasions previously. Resolute to finish the rally, and with the Defender mechanically sound and scrutineered, they joined the rest of the pack in the final five stages.

After the 12.30 miles of stage nine, Cobley and Tomley for Sturgess retained their lead over Looker's Carruthers and Ward and Palmer's bid for third was threatened by The Defenderists who had managed to close the

gap to just 55 seconds.

After the penultimate service of the day only 32 seconds separated Sturgess and Lookers for first and second place and The Defenderists had climbed to third achieving a 50 second lead on Palmer.

Heading into the last stages of the last round, final places in the championship looked certain with prizes for the top three drivers of the year, top three co-drivers of the year and, the most revered of all, the Defender Challenge 2015 Championship title to be awarded.

Concluding the day, the round and the season, Sturgess Land Rover were really keen to bring The Defenderists home in one piece. It's been a real team effort and the skill and commitment of the mechanics working on the car between and during events has been invaluable.

In closing the season, Jon Chester, Brand Director, Bowler Motorsport said: "The Defender Challenge 2015 has been everything we hoped it would be, it’s brought drama, excitement, and some challenges but always with a lot of fun. This season has reinforced everything we knew about Defender, it's massively versatile and robust, and in the right hands, is an incredibly capable performer and remarkably reliable, we've not had to change a clutch all season, not replace a drive shaft or a diff, it's remarkable. Furthermore, it's staggering that may of the competitors drive their Defender to each event, rally for a full weekend and then drive home! It's given us a lot of insight into the development of our next year's 'Class Two' V6 Defender 110 and the next generation of vehicles beyond that."

Pictured right - photo from release pen at the Durness sheepdog trial looking up the Kyle of Durness onto Rhigolter & Foinhaven in back ground. The hill Cheviots at Durness ran well all day 'making a lot of decent runs all day. ' An odd packet proved tricky to pen but most went in with ease. Thirty-eight dogs ran. Judge was W Cormack, Wester Dunnet.

Durness Results:

1st E C MacKinnon with Maddie 90 : 2nd Jock Sutherland and Jan 87 : 3rd Hugh Johnston teamed with Queen 87 : 4th M Sutherland and Tweed 86 : 5. W Davidson's Mona, Turiff 84 :

6th Michael Shearer and Roy, Westfield 83 out bye(6th).

7th M Murray and Jim 83 : 8th M Murray's Gail ( Back) : 9th Stewart Grant’s Tib. Strathcanniard 82 :

Local –Jock Sutherland and Jan, Durness 87, 2nd N Mackenzie and Tess ,Durness 58

3rd M Mackay and Cap Durness 52

Wester Dunnet Trial

Open/nursery judge M Mackay Durness

1st Michael Shearer's Roy 92 Westfield : 2nd Denis Simpson and Ellie 90 : 3rd A MacDonald and Moo 87: 4th W Cormack’s Tib 86 : 5th G Simpson’s Roy 86 : 6th M Sutherland with Glen. 84

TRIALS

Nursery dogs

1st G Simpson and Roy 86 :

2nd G Simpson’s Spot 83: 3rd H Johnston's Edwyn 80 :

4th J Simpson’s Mac 77 :

5th G Simpson's Sweep : 6th I Mackay's Grit 64 : 7th Tommy Mcphee and Gail 59; 8th Muir Grant teamed with Kate

The Park Cheviots were extremely good on course but proved hard to pen for some handler's on a big flat field the work was good all day & weather perfect to finish off.

ROGART TRIALS

Rogart nursery 15 young dogs ran –judge D Mackenzie Inverness. George Simpson was on form having the top three placings in the nursery section:

1st, George Simpson & Gammon Roy, Forge 83

2ndGeorge Simpson’s Spot 82, 3rd George Simpson & Groesfaen Mac 81, 4th S Campbell and Bell from Skye, 5th S Campbell's Lad 75, 6th Hamish Maclean's Jill, Culloden 67, 7th W Cormack and Jill, Dunnet, Old Dogs

1st G Simpson's Elwy Jack 84 , 2ndEC. MacKinnon and Mist, Lochcarron 83, 3rd Mcphee’s Garry 82

4th Joe Mackenzie’s Ben, Turiff 82.

The Cheviot gimmers we're a bit tricky on the drive in the small field & the second leg of the drive was hard to judge but most got finished with ease.

The Glendale Agricultural Society (GAS) has just appointed Philippa Shell as Event Manager to run its multi award winning Children’s Countryside Day.

Each year hundreds of children from all over the region are introduced to the many different aspects of the countryside including farming and the production and preparation of food at this unique event held near Wooler.

Philippa a farmer’s daughter born and brought up in the Ingram Valley graduated from the University of East Anglia with a degree in Ecology in 2009, after studying at the Duchess’ School in Alnwick. Since leaving university she has worked with horses, in shearing gangs and lambings.

Her role in the Children’s Countryside Day is built on an extensive experience of working for the Glendale Agricultural Society over the years. She was a steward in the equine section of from 2003 until 2011, when she joined the Show Committee. In 2013 she was invited to join the Management Committee and took over the role of Chief Equine Steward.

“My role is to coordinate the day –everything from tents to stewards, from transport to arranging demonstrations and most importantly organising funding to keep the event going. The Children’s Countryside Day is a great experience for the children, many of whom think that food only comes from supermarkets and have no idea what lies beneath. In addition it helps encourage a new generation to appreciate the countryside, as a place to visit, and as somewhere they could work.”

Some of the very best grain, meat and vegetables in the UK are grown here in Northumberland and through this day the aim of the Society is to make the children aware of this.

The Day costs in the region of £30,000 to stage, this is in addition to the actual cost of the stand holders and the time offered freely by the volunteers, which is not costed. www.glendaleshow.com. Any schools interested in attending the Children’s Countryside Day can contact Philippa Shell on 01668 283868 or via email philippa@glendaleshow.com.

Ian Griffin has joined HORSCH UK Ltd to further develop and support its dealer network for Horsch Leeb sprayers throughout the whole of the UK. Ian has considerable experience in the agricultural sprayer market and his role will include supporting dealers with on farm demonstrations, shows and open days together with product training.

"I hope to not just increase sales for Horsch but to establish and support an effective dealer network throughout the whole of the UK. With high chemical costs and timing of applications critical, sprayers need to have the minimum of downtime. I'm confident that with the high quality and technically advanced range of sprayers available, together will a well-trained and supported dealer network that the Horsch range will soon become a major player in the UK sprayer market," said Ian.

QMS has appointed Douglas Bell as its new head of industry development. Mr Bell, is currently Head of the Agricultural Policy Unit of SAC Consulting.

A BSc Agriculture graduate of Edinburgh University, Mr Bell has 30 years experience of delivering high level management advice and training –consultancy and project design to facilitation and a hands-on approach.

Mr Bell, who started his new role with QMS at the end of October, is also involved in running the family farm near Carnwath in Lanarkshire.

New at H&H

At the H&H Group AGM Michael Cowen stood down after sixteen years as a Director, and the last two years as Chairman of the Group.

Taking over as Chairman is Ian Lancaster, who was appointed a Non-Executive Director to the Group Board in February 2004. Born and bred in Cumbria, Ian has his own chartered accountancy firm in Carlisle.

Ian is married to Jayne and has three sons, aged 20, 19 and 14, the two eldest of who are at university in London and Edinburgh.

Alongside his accountancy practice, Ian is involved in commercial property development and farms on a part time basis, having three farms comprising in total of some 730 acres at Kirklinton, Scaleby and Penton in North Cumbria.

Joining the H&H Group as Board Member is Scottish Borders Farmer Andrew Douglas. Andrew, who farms Saughtree and Thorlieshope Newcastleton, is a former Chairman of the Agricultural Committee of the Scottish Land Owners Federation, former Director of Oliver & Son Edinburgh and currently a proactive member of NSA Scotland.

Married with three grown up children, Andrew farms 3000 Hill Cheviot Ewes and 100 Limousin Cross Cows. The Douglas family have farmed at Saughtree since 1911 and have traded their stock with H&H for over 100 years. Today, Andrew regularly uses Newtown St Boswells Mart, where he sells his finished lambs and all calves.

On taking up his appointment as Board Member, Andrew said: “I am very honoured to have been invited to join the Board of the H&H Group and I look forward to working with my fellow Board Members to further strengthen H&H’s position in the Borders and North Northumberland. The recent purchase of John Swan & Sons provides a wonderful opportunity to enhance and progress their investment in these areas.

by Hugh Stringleman

Boundaries of the food world are being re-invented continuously, according to KPMG’s gobal head of agribusiness, Ian Proudfoot. He told delegates to the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists 2015 World Congress in Hamilton, New Zealand that disruptive technologies were coming to agriculture.

Laboratory-grown meat was a well publicised example of what he was talking about.

“It is not too fanciful to talk about ‘printing’ food from machines in future in the same way that 3D printers are being used for all different types of materials and uses now,” he said.

Less well-known was deriving protein from insects, such as crickets, because of their phenomenal growth rates. The cricket was the world’s most efficient converter of biomass to protein, being capable to 40% versus 3% for the dairy cow. It was already a food for people in three continents and was very cheap to produce, he said.

“In 10 years you will all be eating food with insect proteins in it and you won’t even realise.”

In the US one enterprising burger chain was offering a cricket protein milkshake, containing Peruvian chocolate cricket powder, the equivalent of over 90 crickets in one glass. Farmers would be attracted to insects because of the high feed conversion efficiency, very low environmental effects and the substitution of livestock proteins by insect proteins because of the sustainability factors. Entrepreneurs were working on new ways of producing the plants and proteins needed to feed a world population of 9 billion by 2050.

Nemo’s Garden was an exciting venture for the growing of crops underwater off the coast of Liguria in northern Italy, Proudfoot said. Scuba diving company owner Sergio Gamberini and his son Luca founded the company with biospheres like large diving bells six to nine metres below the surface, anchored to the seabed, and filled with air.

Plenty of sunlight still reaches the plants, the temperature is kept at a constant 25 degrees Celsius and evapotranspiration from the sea water condenses on the inside surface of the biosphere, creating very high humidity, which plants love.

The plants are being grown hydroponically, gaining their nutrients from water-filled substrate, and are completely protected from pests and diseases, due to being under water. So far Nemo’s Garden has been growing basil and the chemical composition of the leaves is the same as plants grown terrestrially, but with enhanced flavour.

The experiment has run for three summers and is attracting a great deal of interest around the world, Proudfoot said. Venture capital interest in the food sector grew rapidly in 2014, up 54% to nearly US$500 million.

One example was Coca-Cola buying into the US dairy company Fairlife because, he said, it wanted to be the number one beverages supplier in all types.

“That is a game-changer for Fonterra, our biggest exporter, because it has the potential to turn dairy products into beverages.”

Other emerging food trends included the delivery of daily food needs to the home combined with ordering on-line and the need for foods tailored for different demographics, older people for example.

Counterfeiting would be a major issue for major food exporters like New Zealand because of its higher reputation for food safety and quality that other countries and companies wanted to emulate.

The financial returns would in the future be driven by position in the value chain.

Farmers and other food producers typically only captured 10 to 30% of the retail price and so they had to find ways of moving closer to consumers in order to extract greater value.

Producers had in the past been willing to invest in tangible assets, like processing plants, but not intangibles, like people, brands, innovations and consumer connections.

Other major opportunity for exporting countries like NZ lay in the 40% of people worldwide that ate food prepared according to their religious beliefs, such as halal and kosher.

The 2015 World Congress of the IFAJ attracted 140 delegates from 30 countries to NZ. The congress heard from industry leaders from meat, dairy and horticulture and from the Primary Industries Minister, Nathan Guy and the Trade Minister, Tim Groser. Groser was just back from the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks in Atlanta, USA, where agreement was reached among 12 countries, the US, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Chile, NZ, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, and Japan.

The draft free-trade agreement is among countries that account for 36% of the world economy.

It now has to be ratified by the governments of all 12 countries before coming into force. When finalised it will be one of the biggest trade liberalisations ever reached.

Skipping meals, migrating to find work, borrowing to pay for necessities, selling their household goods and vehicles, killing their livestock for lack of feed, planting less for lack of seed and fertilizer –these are some of the coping strategies of 230 000 families struggling to get by in the conflict areas of eastern Ukraine.

The results of an FAO household survey released today paint a bleak picture for small-scale, family-run farms in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. The conflict –now more than a year old –has sparked skyrocketing prices for food, fuel, transport, seed, fertilizer, animal feed and other agricultural and household needs. Economic and security conditions are straining people's ability to adapt.

"This survey has given us a comprehensive analysis of the dimensions, patterns and causes of vulnerability among some 700 000 people in eastern Ukraine," said Vladimir Rakhmanin, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia.

The vast majority of survey respondents are subsistence farmers who produce crops mainly for their own consumption. Even those who produce cash crops or have surplus production face daunting obstacles to selling their produce: lack of transport, high fuel prices, insecurity, distant markets, and low prices at market.

Migration is on the increase, the survey found, and those who remain on the land have a declining capacity to feed themselves.

Until now, external assistance to eastern Ukraine has come mainly in the form of direct food distributions. The survey studied in a detailed way the needs of small-scale

farms if they are to maintain their production.

"Family farms in the conflict area have shown resilience in the face of very difficult conditions, but this cannot last," said Farrukh Toirov, FAO emergency response coordinator in Ukraine. "They are being forced to make difficult choices, such as livestock culling, reducing their planted area, or migration. These are decisions that may make sense in the short term, but it means we can expect to see consequences."

Both livestock and crop production will continue to contract, he said, and this could drive food prices even higher. Ultimately, food security hangs in the balance.

The report recommends immediate-term provision of seed, fertilizer and tools in support of crop production, and animal feed, fodder and restocking of animals for continued livestock production.

From its own resources, FAO has already distributed potato seed, animal feed, and live broiler-layer chickens to needy farm households in Donetsk and Lugansk. Now it aims to scale up operations in order to reach more families and enable to them to continue production.

"People should not become dependent on food hand-outs in a land that can produce most of the population's food needs," said Rakhmanin. "We believe there is a significant and urgent need to support the subsistence production needs of the affected populations and stabilize their agricultural activities. FAO has the experience and the expertise to bring practical, timely assistance to those farming households in greatest need. We are actively seeking resource partners to support this effort in Ukraine."

UK Dairy Summit – Kidworth Family Case Study AGRIHIVE

The Issue:

A lack of confidence in the UK dairy industry with poorly invested infrastructure, especially in many family dairy units

A lack of understanding of the dairy food supply chain so exposure to volatility & market trends

A fragmented industry with poor succession planning

A growing gap between those making a profit and those losing money – Aligned & non-aligned contracts

A belief that expansion of herd and increasing litres = more money + dilutes costs

No clear vision or leadership in the Dairy Industry

An industry at risk of losing consumer and public support if it keeps crying wolf

The Idea:

Bring together UK’s leading business people, entrepreneurs and professionals to think tank new ideas and discuss and work through fresh innovative approaches

Run a 1 day seminar launching the concept with stimulating and challenging speakers kicking off the debate and process with wide and varied opportunities and options open to farmers and industry

The model is a standard family 200 cow dairy unit that could be anywhere in the UK that you will lead and navigate out of financial distress and lost direction and chart a course of business acumen for the journey forward

You will be invited to draw on your own resources and skills to analyse the business and provide recommendation that could reshape the future of UK dairy farming

Run an international competition with high end prizes to draw in ideas and suggestions from every sector and industry globally

The objective:

To shake up traditional reactions & behaviour, to think tank new strategies for UK dairy farming

A fun networking opportunity to build long term strategies and solutions to provide a stable secure dairy industry

To harvest experiences and expertise from the minds of leading people outside of our industry

To provide solutions that can be replicated and actioned by all farmers to address their businesses to secure long term profitability of the UK dairy farming and a more robust economy for future dairy food production.

To have an agreed industry vision with leadership, support and following

Offering suggestions of initiatives the family business could undertake to produce more revenue and increase its resilience and sustainability

Identifying solutions for what is fundamentally flawed in the business conditions of this enterprise?

To enable the UK dairy industry to be world-class in its field attracting and retaining bright, enthusiastic highly qualified individuals

To catch up with the speakers and presentations from the launch on the 3rd November please click on the following links:

Morning session

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4lnqq2Tiaw&feature=youtu.be

Afternoon session & panel discussion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBzYoxVkvrY

To down load the case study and to enter the competition: log onto www.agrihive.com and fill in the register to get the case study sent to you

The competition questions are:

What should this business look like to be competitive in a volatile global market?

How does this business pass over from one generation to the next, is the burden of succession and land ownership holding British dairy farming businesses back and why is that the case?

How can this business get through to the next upturn in prices and then how can it reorganise to have long term sustainability?

If this is representative of a typical UK family dairy farm, then what is fundamentally flawed with the structure of the British dairy industry and how can that be improved?

The prizes are fantastic even including free tickets to Australia, so what is holding you back?

So please have a go you never know you may just have the answer!

Entries close 29th January 2016

Any questions please give me (Heather Wildman) a call on 07773 519995

Local farmers should find it easier to get in touch with potential employees and learn about the benefits of Modern Apprenticeships, thanks to an initiative that’s being supported by NFU Scotland and the Scottish Government.

MA Connections is being run by Sector Skills Council, Lantra, and provides a free and confidential service to farmers who are looking for new employees and to people wanting to take up a career in agriculture through a Modern Apprenticeship. By matching up jobs and job seekers in a single database, Lantra aims to save farmers and trainees time and effort.

Modern Apprentices are full-time employees who are paid a wage and who are working towards a nationally recognised Scottish Vocational Qualification while learning from the skills and experience of people in their workplace.

Employers, employees and training providers work together in partnership and Modern Apprenticeships typically take from one to three years to complete.

Trainees attend college for a certain amount of time to get a wider understanding of their job and this is arranged across Scotland through Borders College, SRUC, Orkney College UHI and Train Shetland.

NFU Scotland Vice President Andrew McCornick commented: “NFU Scotland

welcomes this new initiative, which will make it easier for young people to get a start in the industry, but likewise will give farmers an avenue to find young people to work with them to keep their businesses moving forward.

“The Union was instrumental in starting up the level 2 Modern Apprenticeship and has also pushed for a ‘one-stop-shop’ for apprenticeships so we are pleased this has come to fruition.

“We will continue to support Lantra and the project going forward and help it to progress at every opportunity.”

John Glen, Chief Executive, Buccleuch Estate said: “We have been taking on Modern Apprentices on our farms for nearly ten years now, so understand the value to our business and to the wider rural community of employing people in this way.

“Trainees are given a structured framework in which to learn, but very quickly become productive members of our team, able to do the jobs we ask of them.

“Assessment and support within Modern Apprenticeships are provided for us by Borders College and they have been very helpful in ensuring the admin side of things is as straightforward as possible.

“Buccleuch Estate is committed to the Modern Apprenticeship scheme, but we also believe that MA Connections has the potential

to be extremely useful in bringing together farmers and potential staff elsewhere in the country too.”

Funding towards the costs of college training is normally awarded to Modern Apprentices aged 16–19, but decreases after 20 and is not usually available after the age of 24.

Extra funding through the Scottish Government’s Employer Recruitment Incentive is potentially on offer to businesses with less than 50 staff if they take on a young person aged 16–24 to do a Modern Apprenticeship.

This money goes to the employer, so can be used for additional supervisory costs, t raining, initial travel to work costs or wages. Applications must be approved by 31 March 2016 and limited places are available. All Scotland’s 32 local authorities are taking part, so contact your council and ask about the Employer Recruitment Incentive or visit https://www.ourskillsforce.co.uk/fundingfor-skills/employer-recruitment-incentive Lantra also plans to pilot a multi-employer Modern Apprenticeship scheme enabling apprentices to gain hands-on work experience across different farms, helping them to gain wider industry experience to meet the needs of their college assessments. To find out more about MA Connections, call 01738 646762 or visit www.lantra.co.uk/MAConnections

Call RSABI in confidence

With an increasing number of calls to the newly launched RSABI helpline, Scotland’s unique rural charity are reminding everyone that they are here to help.

The new helpline – 0300 111 4166 – which is run out of hours with help from Farm Community Network, has been open since May and takes calls every day of the year from 7am to 11pm. It provides a single point of enquiry, for anyone regardless of age or circumstances, handling everything from questions about the benefits system and sources of help on farming issues, to delivering support on critical personal matters, including money troubles and emotional distress – it acts as an entry point to RSABI for anyone that may require financial assistance.

RSABI are committed to substantially increasing the number of people they help –with volatile markets, poor prices, the changing subsidy landscape and on-going weather related problems such as experienced in Orkney this summer, farmers and their families have plenty to consider.

Help is just a phone call away for people in Agriculture and other land-based industries

John Macfarlane, RSABI’s welfare manager commented, “Whilst the helpline is not inundated, there is new capacity to deal with the increasing number of calls in these increasingly difficult times.”

The benefit of making the call or putting RSABI in contact with someone for whom there is real concern can be considerable.

Scotland’s rural sector is rightly proud of its immensely successful record of hard work in tough circumstances and the fear of losing pride can discourage many from picking up the phone to make contact – with the new RSABI helpline now very much up and running, trained staff are now just a phone call away to support our community.

SAll Toggied Up!

ince receiving the Toggi Alderton Spectator Coat, the weather has not really been on our side for this Tried and Tested, I can’t remember the last time we have had so many sunny, warm days into October. The month of November has certainly made up for it!

When I have managed to wear the Alderton spectator coat, I have found it very comfortable as it keeps your body at a regulated temperature. The Alderton has a down and feather fill making this an ultra-light coat to wear with superior thermal insulation, giving fantastic warmth without the bulk of many layers. This will make a huge difference to me as I normally walk around like a Michelin man! If anyone sees me when I am dressed up for a night out, I always get a comment –‘didn’t realise how slight you are!’ So no more huge bulky layers!

The spectator coat has a stylish, feminine cut with an elastic belt to cinch

Footed & Booted

The Dickies Trinity non-safety dealer boot is in a nut-shell–comfortable. Since their arrival here at Marbrack, several months ago, these boots have been Richard’s first choice of footwear when the weather is favourable.

The padded insole provides extra underfoot comfort, especially during long days at the market on concrete. Graced with flat feet, these boots are proving their weight

in gold for Richard. The sole is oil resistant and of Goodyear welt construction –tough as ‘old boots!’

The full grain leather upper comes in 2 colours –dark tan as shown in the photographs and light tan. They are available from size 6-12 and retail at £54.95 online at www.dickiesstore.co.uk. They are also available at numerous outlets across the country.

you in at the waist. I have previously worn feather and down jackets, but not on a typical Scottish winter’s day –where it is both cold and wet. Normally you are unable to wear them as they are not waterproof! But not the Alderton. Having a durable water repellent coating that allows the rain to form beads and roll off, this coat can be worn all winter long. I plan to do just that! I can wear the Alderton even when it’s wet!, which in Argyllshire is ususlly quite often! Staying both dry and cosy!! So well done Toggi!

It has now rained and yes the Toggi Alderton kept me very cosy and very dry. It does what it said on the tin! Even though the Alderton isn’t a waterproof coat, its water repellence is sufficient to allow you to wear Iit in the Scottish weather!

The Alderton Spectator coat comes in two colours Kirsch and Raisin, sizes 8 through to 20 and is priced at £152.00 from all Toggi stockists, or www.toggi.com

Sheepdog Dreams

Sleep, or lack of it is a major issue for any parent of young children. It is not surprising that they are willing to try anything, which may deliver and extra hour or two of rest. When I was approached by farmingscotland.com, I jumped at the chance of trialling ‘Russell the Dream Sheepdog.’

The purple and white fluffy canine is aimed at toddlers aged 18 months and older. At first glance, it looks like any other soft toy, but on further inspection there is much more to Russell than meets the eye. Gently squeezing his right paw starts an enchanting blue and green ‘ colour therapy’ light show, which last half an hour and claims to ‘lull your toddler to sleep.’ It is also possible to record your child’s favourite song, story or message, up to four minutes duration, which is repeated eight times, giving thirty two minutes of playback. Pressing the right paw activates the sound element.

I have to admit that we are quite lucky, as our son is generally a good sleeper. He can take a wee while to go down though and I find that Russell, or Rock, as we have called him, after a family dog, is a great help. Every night at bedtime, we go over to Rock and switch on his lights. My son likes to squeeze his paw and it plays a short recorded message of me barking and saying hello. We tend not to play that very long, but we leave the light show running and I think it offers him some comfort while he is dropping off to sleep.

Russell the Dream Sheepdog retails for £24.99 at Toys R Us, but Boots for example, stock it for £34.99, so it is worth shopping around. I would recommend it as a great soother for toddlers at the end of a long day and a fun companion, which our son has become very fond of. A great gift for any young child, male or female.

www.farmingscotland.com

Anyone scratching their head for novel Christmas shopping ideas will welcome the publication of a new collection of comic rural stories gleaned from across Scotland.

The book, Farming is a Funny Business, has been compiled by well-known journalist and author Andrew Arbuckle and his brother John, and contains anecdotes and jokes about the trials and tribulations of everyday rural life. As an additional bonus all proceeds are being given to Scotland’s rural charity, RSABI.

Copies are available from RSABI directly and cost £10, plus postage and packing.

Nina Clancy, RSABI chief executive, said:

“Christmas shopping can be a headache at the best of times, and we all know someone who is especially difficult to buy a present for.

Thankfully Andrew and John Arbuckle have come to the rescue with their super collection of funny farming anecdotes.

“RSABI is enormously grateful to Andrew and John for their hard work in putting this book together, and to all those who contributed their jokes and tales. Farming is a Funny Business deserves to sell well in its own right, but I am always heartened that people are willing to help RSABI raise money in innovative ways.

“Rural life can be tough, and RSABI helps

hundreds of people each year who are working or have worked on the land –and their dependants – and face difficulties due to illness, stress or financial strain. Whether you buy this book for yourself or as a present, you’ll be delighting someone and supporting a good cause at the same time.”

Andrew Arbuckle said: “Whether you’re stuck for a Christmas present or just want a diversion from the toils and troubles on the farm, ‘Farming is a Funny Business’ provides the answer.

“With over 300 jokes and anecdotes from contributors all over Scotland, it will surely dispel the view that farmers are dour and uncommunicative, and equally it will remove the thought that farming has a monopoly on pessimism.

“For city dwellers, it would also be a welcome present to that neighbour, uncle, aunt or other relation who keeps talking about farming and it has the added benefit in that it can be sneakily read before being wrapped up in Christmas paper.

“Some of the humour is pawky and a lot of it is dry and understated; there may not be a lot of ‘laugh out loud’ moments but it provides proof there is a lot of fun in the farmyard, at auction sales and agricultural shows; in fact wherever farming folk meet.”

Legal Eagle

We are all well aware that the ignorant amongst today's modern society often have a very shrewd vision of the farming world. According to many people living in urbanised areas, the occupation of a farmer revolves solely around manual labour. Are you truly involved in this ever revolving sector unless you're up and out during the early hours of the morning for milking? Can you truly withhold your title without spending your life mucking out pens? Should we be cast aside in the world of farming if we don't take this one limiting route? In my opinion, most certainly not.

There are countless jobs in place designed purely to keep the agricultural quarter running as smoothly as possible. Our world would be in upheaval if there weren't people constantly driving these various different sectors behind the scenes to keep the actual farms in tow. Whether it may be machinery or the market, feeding or forgework there are many cogs that allow our world to keep on turning.

One sector, which is vital in this respect is Agricultural Law and one man, who understands its true importance is, well known solicitor, Mr Alastair Dale. The 36-year-old is a past member of Crossroads FC who originated in Tarbolton, Ayrshire. Alastair, like myself, was a keen Young Farmer in his day, winning the Senior Speechmaking and being heavily involved in Young Farmers Sport, which is why I felt it appropriate to contact him on details of his occupation outwith – but still a crucial part of – the actual farming itself.

Like many Young Farmers I know, Alastair was heavily influenced predominantly by his father. However, instead of helping outside with farm work as a child, Alastair often

joined his father on his daily rounds to clients at the weekend or on sick days off school. He explained that although law can often be a dry topic, agricultural law differed from ordinary boring laws. As a child he was amazed by the work that went on with farms being bought and sold, opencast coal sites and developers for houses, all of which were included in these day to day rounds. This allowed him to gather the essential knowledge of the occupation as well as the passion which goes hand in hand with it.

From a young age Alastair knew this was the route he wished to go down: "As soon as I got my driving license, I would drive Dad around the countryside in his car and he would work on files in the passenger seat! With all that experience from an early age, I always had an interest in agricultural law and fancied following my Dad's footsteps to become a lawyer."

After obtaining an LLB Honours degree and Diploma in legal practice at the University of Dundee, Mr Dale worked for a large law firm in Edinburgh but returned home in 2006 to work for his family law firm in Galston, Ayrshire: 'Dales Solicitors LLP' –a niche law firm that provides legal advice to farmers and those who live or work in Scotland's countryside. Unlike many other law firms, Alastair claims that the company cuts through lots of legal jargon to make things more simple for the client, with their tag line being "down to earth advice."

The business is similar to many family run farms, as everyone is involved including Alastair's father, brother, sister, with his mum making the soup at lunch time – not unlike the lifestyle that many of us live in other areas of agriculturally driven businesses! The company deals mainly with farm purchases

by Hannah Dunlop

and sales, agricultural tenancies, renewable energy, telecoms, succession planning and executrices.

Law is absolutely crucial to farming but, nowadays, it is more essential than ever. Alastair explained that taking sound legal and accountancy advice from professionals who understand your business and what you are trying to achieve is incredibly important, since farmers cannot always be expected to know the detail of the latest rules and regulations, which affect their business. He also went on to make a very valid point: "In the present tough market place, farmers should be allowed to concentrate on farming and take the best advice they can."

As for Young Farmers wishing to enter the world of Agricultural Law, Alastair clued me up with some sound advice I believe to be helpful for anyone with an interest in this sector: "Don't be put off by the endless reading and exams, which you will encounter during the University Law degree. Obtaining a Law degree opens up lots of options in terms of jobs." He furthered this point by saying: "I am lucky to deal with interesting people on a daily basis and we also have a laugh along the way. Given that I can do that –whilst making a pound at the same time –I'd say that a career in law has worked well for me and I'd recommend it to any Young Farmers out there who fancy something a bit different."

As well as obtaining this highly respected job, Alastair still finds the time to fit in both his passion for Rugby and Public Speaking –it's not all downhill after becoming a proper adult!

Another perfect example of a driven Young Farmer, who knew exactly what he wanted and what he needed to do to get himself there.