Wet Weather Resilience Planning: Craigie – Event summary

Wet weather has had a massive impact on farm businesses across South West Scotland since Autumn 2017.

The meeting focused on how a business can recover through the spring and use lessons learnt to make plans for the future to make farms more resilient to bad weather.

The meeting consisted of a wide range of topics starting with ‘Mental Health’ awareness.  Support is out there and it is important to acknowledge that you are not coping as well as you might like.  The charity RSABI is available to help in whatever way it can and is there to ‘Support People in Scottish Agriculture’.

The topic of how to manage a forage shortage was the next topic for discussion.  Ways to cope included feed budgeting, using alternative feeds, managing stock, reducing bedding requirements and the use of alternatives bedding materials.

The meeting concluded with a discussion about the potential options on rebuilding the forage buffer – through the targeted use of spring fertiliser, maximising silage yields and  repairing field damage.

Take home messages

• Look after yourself which can be hard but there are people and organisations that are there to help.
• Make a Plan for the coming year, doing this will make you aware of this years impact and how best to prepare your farm for future challenges.
• If caught short and don’t have enough feed; minimise mouths or make use of alternative feed from any surrounding resources available.
• Paddock grazing utilises a smaller area and has high rewards..
• Clearing and maintaining drainage systems will reduce the volume of surface water in wet weather. Drainage in the summer months may reduce soil compaction and damage compared to the winter months.
• Spread lime 10 days after slurry and 30 days before slurry; lime will sweeten the grass for grazing.

Please use the links below to download handouts available to take away from the event and related information.