Mentoring for new farmers and crofters
Important Information
We are sorry to inform you that due to extraordinarily high demand for one-to-one support in recent months, the Integrated Land Management Plan (ILMP), Specialist Advice and Mentoring support are temporarily on hold, and we are unable to support new applications currently. Normal service will resume in April.
The advice line, FAS events, FAS TV and publications continue to be available and may be accessed via:
Web: www.fas.scot
Email: advice@fas.scot
Call: 0300 323 0161
If you are considering becoming a farmer or crofter or have set up business in the last five years, then you are entitled to free support through the Farm Advisory Service’s mentoring programme.
Why apply?
Setting up any business is challenging; farming and crofting is no different. Because the success of new entrants to the farming industry is critical to the industry’s overall long-term sustainability, the Scottish Government funds the Farm Advisory Service’s mentoring programme.
As a new entrant, the programme connects you to an experienced mentor with valuable skills and knowledge, matched to your business’s needs, who can guide you through the vital set-up and early growth-years of your business.
Typical skills that mentors offer include:
- Detailed knowledge and experience of agriculture and running farm businesses
- A mastery of traditional skills e.g. stone walling, hedge laying etc.
- Animal welfare and livestock care knowledge
- Land based educational and skills background
- Food and drink industry experience
- Finance and business planning know-how
- Surveying and planning skills
- Knowledge of conservation and biodiversity
- Forestry or woodland skills
Benefit from the knowledge and experience of seasoned farmers and crofters
Many people find someone in their local community to mentor them, while some ask FAS for advice. FAS can find a match with an expert in the right type of farming for you, or experience with the issues you are tackling. Please mention in section 11 of the application form whether you would like help finding a mentor.
Who can apply?
Mentoring support is available to those who have set up or become head of a farming business within the last five years. You will need to be registered in Scotland with the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) and hold a Business Reference Number (BRN).
From July 2024, restrictions on the mentoring support available were reset. Farming and crofting businesses that have already received mentoring support can apply for the same level of support for a second time if the business was set up within the last five years.
How much funding is there?
FAS will provide your mentor up to £1,200 to fund four days of their work with you.
Related Downloads/case studies
Islay Roberts from Glen Caladh Farm, Tighnabruaich, explains how valuable mentoring has been for them as newcomers to farming. She describes the amount of support and the report they received and explains how mentoring meant they could be matched with an adviser who had specific knowledge of growing tea, which is a niche crop. Mentoring gave them confidence they were taking the right steps when they were at the start of their journey as farmers.
Lynn Wyllie began her farming journey with a simple but powerful goal: to become more self-sufficient by producing her own food. As a complete newcomer to farming, Lynn recognised the value of expert guidance and applied for support through the Scottish Farm Advisory Service’s New Entrant Mentoring Programme. This case study explores how mentoring helped Lynn build confidence, develop practical skills, and improve both the welfare of her animals and the sustainability of her farm.
Deborah runs the Lint Mill a mixed smallholding located in Scotland’s Southern Uplands, adopting a holistic and regenerative approach to land and animal management while promoting rare breeds. Certified organic by the Soil Association since 2016, the Lint Mill champions organic practices and highlights the importance of biodiversity in both land stewardship and livestock management.
Though Danielle had been familiar with farming since childhood, it wasn’t until she and her partner relocated to a small farm in the Scottish Borders that she realised the extent of what there was still to learn. Danielle explains how a local shepherd who understood small scale farming provided mentoring through the FAS mentoring program, sharing knowledge and helping to build confidence.
Roderick transitioned from running his own telecommunications company to buying a farm with his wife on Islay. Despite their desire to raise cattle, they lacked experience and needed external support from their neighbour, Peter McDermid, a third-generation beef farmer.
Carol Glennie knew she was happiest when working with animals, and to gain more practical experience and help on her grandad's farm, she sought out her neighbour to be her mentor through FAS.
Cara became a FAS mentor in 2020 and is the founder of Lochview Rural Training, based on her working croft in Lairg, Sutherland. Her mentees find her to be an inspiring role model, and she believes the FAS mentoring program enables her to make a meaningful impact on individuals.
Paul Rowlston is a livestock farmer with over 13 years’ experience. Well known for his practical experience and knowledge, Paul was approached by a new crofter in his community who was looking for advice and practical support.
Here, Paul shares his thoughts on being an FAS mentor.
In April 2017, Iain Withers, a new entrant to farming, started his own business – Narrowboat Farm, a small-scale market garden in Linlithgow.
For many years, Billy Matheson worked on offshore oil rigs as an engineer. Weary of the work and keen to try something new, Billy decided to move back home to the Isle of Lewis and try his hand at crofting.
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