A New Start

We are hosting a series of webinars throughout the summer months, on a new start.  These will be 60 minute webinars with an excellent line up of speakers to discuss the various steps in a new start, from sourcing finance, to acquiring land, building relationships and resilient systems and implementing changes for climate change.

These have been designed as a series, but please tune into any of the webinars that interest you.  We would encourage you to join these live, but if you miss any, don’t worry as you will be able to watch the recording online after the event.

To register and gain the joining instructions for each of these webinars click on the blue titles below.

Webinar 1 – Setting Up A Business and Sourcing Finance 

Wednesday 17^th June, 20:00 – 21:00

Tune in to hear from Sandy Hay, head of Agriculture at the Bank of Scotland and Jane Mitchell, a qualified chartered accountant and non-executive director of ANM group.  This webinar will focus on the first steps, explaining the things you need to think about in setting up business and where to start with sourcing finance. Learn from our fantastic guest speakers, who have a huge variety of financial expertise.

Webinar 2 – Acquiring Land Through Purchase

Wednesday 24^th June, 20:00 – 21:00

Buying and owning land is viewed as the pinnacle of success but it is often seen as unachievable for many. Join us as we look at acquiring farmland in Scotland through purchase, which will show how it can be done.

Our speaker for the evening, Alistair Christie has a wealth of experience in the sale and purchase of farmland in Scotland, providing rural valuations and securing AMC (Agricultural Mortgage Corporation) loans as a partner at Galbraith. Brought up on a dairy and sheep farm in Central Scotland, he is ideally placed to answer all your questions on purchasing agricultural land.

Alistair will guide us through the land purchase process from finding land for sale right through to conclusion of missives.  Many of the myths and jargon surrounding purchasing land will be cut though.

Webinar 3 – Getting A Start With Joint Venture Farming

Wednesday 1^st July, 20:00 – 21:00

With land often being named one of the largest barriers to entry, it is important to assess all of the options available when planning a new business venture. Join us as we take a look at contract and share farming agreements with industry specialists and farm managers at the forefront of these unique business models.

Standing in the shadow of Brexit and the uncertainty around it, with radical changes on the way we will need equally radical and innovative approaches to the challenges of the future. Our guest speakers, Ian Davidson OBE and William Stevenson have a wealth of knowledge and experience, are prepared to tell their stories, answer your questions and cut through the jargon.

William manages multiple contract farming agreements across north and south Ayrshire as well as his own upland farm at Ballantrae.  Ian is a specialist advisor for the Scottish Land Matching Service, which aims to match up and assist business partners in such agreements.

Contract and share farming agreements can be attractive alternatives to outright ownership of land, allowing those involved to build up capital and assets with greater control of risks. At the same time business models like these can aid succession planning, allowing those looking to slow down or retire to scale back their activity in a controlled, carefully manner.

Webinar 4 – Success Through Hard Times

Wednesday 8^th July, 20:00 – 21:00

Making farming work when you have to battle against the weather, fluctuating input and output prices can be daunting and seem almost impossible.  However, Charley Walker, Grassland Farmer of the Year 2019, has demonstrated that it is possible to succeed despite all of these challenges.

Grassland management is the secret! He operates a rotational grazing system and is able to outwinter stock on deferred grass in the winter.

He will discuss his system and what he has found works well.  Topics will include organics, reseeding, building fertility into the solid and reducing the labour requirement.

Just imagine managing to have a life and reduce your costs!

Webinar 5 – Relationships – The Most Important Crop To Grow

Wednesday 15^th July, 20:00 – 21:00

Agriculture can be an uncertain industry and COVID-19 has only magnified how circumstances can change very quickly.  Therefore it is more important than ever to ensure you have good relationships with professionals to give your business the best chance to overcome challenges you may face.

This webinar will give you a chance to hear Andrew Marchant a first generation farmer, monitor farmer and award winning New Entrant about the relationships he has developed building and running Clonhie with his wife Aileen.  The best way to nurture these relationships and the benefits to having these strong relationships.

Mr John Laughton, Agriculture Relationship Director, HSBC will then give an insight into the value of these relationships from the professional point of view and what he sees as the best way to develop them and the benefits he sees from good relationships being built.

Webinar 6 – Starting With A Tenancy Or Seasonal Lets

Wednesday 22^nd July, 20:00 – 21:00

Join us to hear key business tips for starting with seasonal lets and farm tenancies from our guest speaker, Dave Green. Dave is a member of Aberdeen Endowments trust, a Scottish Charity which provides grant funding from its farm land and buildings in North East Scotland. Dave is also CEO of Duncan Farms, Turriff. Duncan farms are a large enterprise, producing cereal and oilseeds as well as producing Scottish eggs, supplying Morrison’s Supermarkets. Dave has previously been awarded the Farmers Weekly, Farm Manger of the Year title.

This event will give attendees the necessary tools to look at business opportunities for seasonal lets and farm tenancies. The event will also cover key factors to look out for in these opportunities and if applicable, what can be expected in the application process.

Webinar 7 – Climate Change – Cows Vs Cars

Wednesday 29^th July, 20:00 – 21:00

Topics surrounding Climate Change and GHG emissions are never far from the headlines and livestock are often in the spotlight when it comes to the ‘blame game’.

There are many theories and opinions about how we work towards creating a sustainable planet with cleaner air quality.

Join our webinar to listen to the ‘GHG Guru’, Frank M Mitloehner, Professor and Air Quality Specialist, University of California to gain a comprehensive understanding of the cow carbon cycle and the role livestock play in the challenge of nourishing a growing global population.

Webinar 8 – Climate Change – Crops and Soils

Wednesday 5^th August, 20:00 – 21:00

This is the last webinar in this series, and will build on the theories and options that are available to creating a sustainable planet with cleaner air quality.  The focus will be on crops and soils.