Issue 154
November 2024
Editor’s Reflections: Eilidh McDonald welcomes the summer, looking forward to the agricultural show season and planning a campervan trip through the Highlands and Islay.
Springfield Farm Feature: Profiles Gavin and Anna, who detail their journey reclaiming "sick" soil at Springfield and the challenges of being "new entrants" denied funding.
Beef Success: Highlights Gavin’s success with Simmental cattle, including the champion bull Islavale Jabba, judged in a global online competition.
Suckler Support Changes: Discusses the new 2025 regime for the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (SSBSS), requiring a calving interval of 410 days or less.
Show Previews: Features comprehensive previews for major summer events, including the Royal Highland Show and the Scottish Game Fair.
Agri-Tourism: Showcases on-farm diversification, specifically luxury pods with hot tubs and BBQ decks, as seen on a windswept property utilizing wind energy.
Arable Focus: Provides an optimistic outlook for the British blackcurrant harvest, aiming for 11,000 tonnes despite a cold, wet spring.
Livestock Predators: Covers rising concerns over sea eagle attacks on sheep and dogs in Skye, as well as the impact of reintroduced wolves on Italian sheep farms.
Sheep Management: Includes reports on "Charolais to the Fore at Cowfords" and technical advice on improving lamb survival through knowledge transfer projects.
Sustainable Forestry: Mentions the planting of 60 acres of hardwoods on marginal land as part of a wider trend toward carbon sequestration and environmental stewardship.