Introduction to Kincraigie Farm

The Aberdeenshire Soil & Nutrient Network farm for 2018-19 is Kincraigie Farm at Lumphanan, which is farmed by the Marshall Family.  The business is run by father and son partnership, Robert and Robert Jnr.

Kincragie is a mixed arable and grassland unit focusing on a herd of 550 suckler cows, which lies approximately 130m above sea level.  Due to the farm's location and climate, the only cereal grown is spring barley which is all kept for own use as feed and bedding for the cattle enterprise. All progeny from the suckler herd is kept and finished on the farm.  All the farmyard manure (FYM) and slurry from the cattle is spread back on to the land to increase soil organic matter and reduce the use of inorganic bagged fertilisers.  This has been working well in the past and can be seen from the average organic matter figure in the soil, which is currently 8.4%.

The average rainfall on the farm is 785mm per annum and the soils are made up of mainly countesswells soil types. The land capability on farm averages at class 4.1 with some rougher areas of 4.2 as well.