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Arable Monitor Farms

Arable Monitor Farms

HGCA In partnership with the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise is funding 2 Arable Monitor farms in Scotland, each with three associated Arable Business Groups in the surrounding areas.

This project is due to run for 3 years (from July 07) and has the following key objectives:

• Improve the business performance of Scottish arable farms
• Increase the rate of knowledge transfer across the industry

Monitor Farms are normal commercial farms, which are representative of enterprises and conditions in their local area, where the farmer is prepared to allow other farmers access to the farm - and to the decision-making process. The other farmer members can then assess changes made on the monitor farm and are encouraged to adopt the successful ideas themselves.

Monitor Farm details

Lothians and Borders Monitor Farm

The new arable monitor farmer for Lothians and Borders is Hugh Broad who farms at Woodhead near Gifford in East Lothian.

The farm is all arable and has a good mix of cropping. This includes continuous wheats which are grown on some of the heavier soils but also a traditional rotation involving winter wheat, winter barley, spring barley and winter oilseed rape.

The farm lies at about 150 meters (500ft.) above sea level situated near Haddington below the Lammermuir Hills. Most of the land is classed as Grade 3 and includes both light and heavy soil types.

The Monitor Farm is facilitated by Chris McDonald of SAC.

Tayside Monitor Farm

The Tayside region arable monitor farmers are James and Hugh Black who farm Backboath Farm near Arbroath.

The farm extends to 900 acres which includes 250 acres wheat, 160 acres spring barley, 130 acres oilseed rape, 115 acres winter barley and 250 acres of potatoes. The business has no livestock enterprise and is operated by James, son Hugh and one full-time man.

The Monitor farm is facilitated by Jim Booth of SAOS and Peter Cook.

Lothians Meeting Reports

• Click here   

Tayside Meeting Reports

• Click here 

Further information

For further information on the project contact:

Jenny Batchelor
Jenny.batchelor@hgca.com
Tel 020 7520 3963

For further information on the Lothians Monitor farm and ABG's contact:

Chris McDonald
Project Facilitator, SAC
Chris.mcdonald@sac.co.uk
Tel: 0131 535 3436  

For further information on the Angus Monitor Farm and ABG's contact:

Jim Booth
Project Facilitator, SAOS 
jim@saos.co.uk
Tel 01651 843607    

Peter Cook
Project Facilitator
cooknewton@btopenworld.com
Tel 01467 642802