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Hello and welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter,

We've got a really busy month coming up with digital events being held in place of our face to face events. What's great about these events is that if you can't make them or get called away we are putting the video online so you can watch at a later date or share it with someone who you think might find it interesting. And although you won't then be able to contact the speakers, don't forget that our helpline is available should you have any queries - details below.

Along with our usual round-up of events and new content we also have a favour to ask of you to help us with some research on the Farm Advisory Service.

Help shape the future of the Farm Advisory Service

The Scottish Government is conducting a survey of those who have used the Farm Advisory Service. It is interested in understanding what you think of the service, what impacts it has had on your farm business and what would you like from the service going forward. The data that you provide will be used to write an evaluation report on the Farm Advisory Service and make recommendations for its future. Take part and help shape the future of the Farm Advisory Service by clicking below.

Take the survey here

As always, if you've got any questions or need any support, then do call our helpline on 0300 323 0161 or email advice@fas.scot. Or if you have any questions about the service and what we should be delivering to help make farms and crofts more sustainable and profitable, then email sfas@sac.co.uk.

Forthcoming events:

We have a range of digital events coming up:

Cereal Trials Webinar Series – Winter Wheat - 25th June
Arable Scotland 2020 - 2nd July
Borders Soil & Nutrient Network: Kerchesters Farm, Kelso - 7th July
Brand Building – Where Do I Start? - 21st July
Brand Building – What Comes Next? - 23rd July
Fife Soil & Nutrient Network: Edenwood Farms – Launch event - 24th July

"A new start" webinars

We are hosting a series of webinars throughout the summer months, on a new start. These will be 60 minute webinars with an excellent line up of speakers to discuss the various steps in a new start, from sourcing finance, to acquiring land, building relationships and resilient systems and implementing changes for climate change:

24th June - Acquiring Land Through Purchase
1st July - Getting A Start With Joint Venture Farming
8th July - Success Through Hard Times
15th July - Relationships – The Most Important Crop To Grow
22nd July - Starting With A Tenancy Or Seasonal Lets

Women in Agriculture:
Social media presence

In today’s digital world it is important to have the ability to use social media to tell our business’s story, engage in healthy debate and educate not only our critics, but the wider public.

Join us for this fun and interactive online discussion held regionally:

23rd June - Lanark
25th June - Lothians
26th June - Scottish Borders
6th July - Inverness-shire
7th July - Morayshire
16th July - Orkney
20th July - Caithness

Women in Agriculture:
Personal Resilience for Business Success

Agriculture, like many industries, is facing a number of challenges at present. How you react to these challenges will determine the success of your business.

Join us for this fun and interactive online discussion held regionally:

9th July - P erth
13th July - Balivanich
14th July - Ayrshire
27th July - Stirling

Woodland Creation & Management webinar series

Join us to learn all you need to know about the hows and whys of woodland creation and management in this series of webinars.

9th July - Part 1: Benefits of Woodlands
16th July - Part 2: Successful Woodland Establishment
23rd July - Part 3: Managing Existing Farm Woodlands

News:

Woodland Creation support

Up to £1000 in woodland creation, management & conservation support available, without a prior ILMP

Read more ->

Publications:

2020 Grazing Vlogs

A series of video updates following farmers through a grazing season showing the challenges and benefits of operating a rotational grazing system for livestock performance and welfare.

The farmers include:

William Willis, Dairy Farmer, Aberdeenshire
Ian Dickson, Beef and Sheep Farmer, Isle of Bute
Giles Henry, Beef farmer, Selkirk
Jamie Leslie, Beef and Sheep Farmer, Shetland

The four farmers are using rotational grazing to make more from grass. Join us in following their developments at the 2020 grazing season unfolds.

You can view all of the videos on the FAS YouTube Channel. As well as sign up to the FAS Grazing Playlist.

New Entrants podcast: Andrew Jardine

Listen to our podcast interview with Andrew Jardine, who along with his family gained a tenancy at New Farm, Moffat in August 2019. Andrew speaks about their journey, including the application and interview process, their first 10 months in business and their plans for the future.

Listen here ->

Agribusiness news June 2020

The UK government has released a new set of Tariff Schedules with increased import protection for most UK food products. This is good news as it means the UK will maintain import protection close to EU levels unless or until a trade deal is done with say the EU or the US. The UK government may still attempt to keep a lid on UK food prices through Tariff Rate Quota for example but details of planned changes there are not yet known.

The message for farmers is this buys time – protection from lower priced imports will not disappear or drop drastically on 1 January 2021 as was implied in the previous set of UK Tariff Schedules.

Animal welfare updates

Problems with newborns suckling, focus on Laminitis and reducing lameness. All this and more in our latest animal welfare updates.

Read more ->

We would love to hear your views. If you have any thoughts on the type of news and features you would like to read, please contact sfas@sac.co.uk.

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