Introduction to Limekilns Farm

Limekilns is a dairy and arable unit farmed by Alastair Crichton and his family. The farm is predominately grassland extending to 194 hectares and is located on the outskirts of Annan Dumfries and Galloway. The cropping enterprise includes 80 hectares of cereals which consist of spring wheat, winter barley, spring barley and forage rape. The remaining 114 hectares are split between permanent and temporary grassland. Approximately half of the cereal crops are whole-cropped and ensiled with the remainder being combined and crimped for feeding. The farm carries 223 high yielding Holstein Frisian dairy cows which graze during the summer.

Limekilns sits 85ft above sea level with the majority of the farm having a mineral gley soil type. According to the land capability for agriculture classification system, most of the land comprises of grade 3.1 and 3.2 land. This type of land is capable of producing high yields of crops such as cereals and grass. The farm lies within the river Annan catchment area which has recently been designated a priority catchment by SEPA.