An Introduction to Meddat Farm

Husband and wife Julian & Angie Cox along with daughter Alice farm 420Ha (1040ac) of mainly arable cropping.  There is a small area of PGRS which is utilised by a small flock of 100 ewes along with 20 suckler cows.  Meddat also has 'B & B' cows in the winter from the west coast.  The farm is situated next to the Moray Firth beside the village of Kildary in the heart of Easter Ross.

Crop rotation includes Winter Wheat, Potatoes and Spring Barley.  All gound is ploughed and sown in a conventional way.  The Cox family bought the farm in 2013 and it had been cropped for many years without the inputs from a livestock enterprise.  With this in mind, they decided to set up cattle and sheep enterprises to both to utilise the permanent grass,  but also as a source of farmyard manure that could be incorporated back onto the land.  They also import a large tonnage of Anaerobic Digestion waste from the local Glenmorangie distillery.  This imports a large amount of nutrients and organic matter into the soil.

The soil is very variable ranging from very light windblown sand with very low organic matter and nutrient levels, right through to heavy clay loam which brings its own establishment challenges.  The majority of the land is grade 3.1 but due to its low lying nature next to the sea it has a high water table and drainage is a constant challenge.