Sustainable Systems: Whole Farm Systems
Find information about whole farm sustainability
Farming in water scarcity
Historically Scotland has experienced wetter autumns and winters followed by drier spring and summers. However, we are observing changes in weather patterns year on year, with more singular extreme weather…
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Monitoring Flock Performance Case Study (Central)
May 22, 2025John & Alix Ritchie, Montalt Farm, Forgandenny, Perthshire Keeping performance monitoring simple in a grass-based system For the Ritchies at Montalt monitoring body condition of...
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Red Clover as a home-grown protein in sustainable sheep systems
March 26, 2025Increasing the amount of forage-based protein that can be grown on farm is a key way to address the UK’s protein deficit and reduce reliance...
Read more >
Holistic Management: Part 3 – Holistic Context
March 26, 2024This is the third of a four-part series exploring holistic grassland management. The other articles in this series cover an introduction to Holistic Management, the...
Read more >
Water Scarcity Case Study: Alternative watering of livestock
March 25, 2024Background Following an AECS application in 2016 to fence off watercourses from grazing livestock, combined with a move to outwintering of cattle, Whitriggs Farm had...
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Holistic Management: Part 2 – Holistic Decision Making Framework
March 19, 2024This is the second of a four-part series exploring holistic grassland management. The other articles in this series cover an introduction to Holistic Management, the...
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Holistic Management: Part 1 – Introduction
March 7, 2024This is the first of a four-part series exploring Holistic Management. In this article we take a look at the development of Holistic Grazing Management....
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Converting to Organic Farming
December 18, 2023The lifting of the 1,000 ha limit for organic funding under the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) has resulted in more industry interest in organics. Read...
Read more >
Grazing for Profit and Biodiversity: Adaptive Grazing
December 15, 2023Three Rules of Adaptive Stewardship Grazing Adaptive stewardship grazing is a multi-paddock grazing strategy based on short duration high stock density grazing followed by rest...
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Getting Your Soil Ready for Organic Farming
October 11, 2023Ensuring soil health is optimal is key to the success of any farming operation, but in an organic system, where there is no option to...
Read more >
Getting Started with Organic Farming – How to Convert to Organic
September 20, 2023Summary This factsheet is the third in a series. The aim of which is to look at How to convert to Organic farming, “How to...
Read more >
Sustainable Sheep Systems: Viewfield Case Study
September 15, 2023Read how the Maxwell family at Viewfield have developed a sustainable low input productive flock through a focus on functional genetics and production off forage....
Read more >
Getting Started with Organic Farming – Is Organic for me?
September 5, 2023Summary This factsheet is the second in a series, the aim of which is to look at the considerations of converting to organic and what...
Read more >
How To Convert To Organic Grassland
August 18, 2023An introduction to the critical factors for a successful Organic conversion. This is the first in a series of Organic Conversion articles which will discuss...
Read more >
Intercropping
May 15, 2023In this video, Donald Dunbar speaks about companion crops, otherwise known as Intercropping, with Jonny Mccririck in the Scottish Borders. As protein prices have been...
Read more >Organics in Scotland Video Series
April 3, 2023Whether you’re considering conversion to organic farming or you’re looking at introducing a different enterprise on your organic farm, the videos in this series look...
Read more >Virtual Fencing
March 30, 2023This case study gives a real life example of how David Whiteford of Maxwelston Farm, South Ayrshire has used virtual fencing to improve his beef and...
Read more >
Grazing Spring Grass for Productive Flocks
February 14, 2023In this final webinar of the 2022/23 grazing for productive flocks series, SAC specialist Daniel Stout provides an overview of pasture measuring and budgeting before...
Read more >Direct Retailing from a Poultry, Dairy, Beef, Sheep & Arable farm – Lower Mill of Tynet Farm
December 14, 2022Gordon & June Whiteford are 1st generation farmers, who have built up their farming business over the last 10 years at Lower Mill of Tynet....
Read more >
Utilising Deferred Cattle Grazing
December 9, 2022In this short video, we visit Giles Henry in the Scottish Borders who has been operating a low input, deferred grazing system for 26 years....
Read more >
Organic Virtual Farm Tour Webinar
December 6, 2022An ideal opportunity to visit Whitriggs farm hosted by Stuart Mitchell without leaving your home in this webinar from Tuesday 29th November. In 2016 Stuart...
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Forage and Grass Guide
November 17, 2022Well planned and managed forage and grassland provides an opportunity to incorporate more resilience into our beef and sheep businesses. By looking at our forage...
Read more >
Grazing for Profit and Biodiversity at Coldrochie
November 3, 2022Multi-species swards can bring numerous benefits for biodiversity, soil health, grassland productivity and livestock performance being diverse with a wide range of different grasses, legumes...
Read more >
Regenerative Agriculture – Integrating Livestock
December 13, 2021Integrating livestock on arable farms has many benefits from extending the rotation by providing more break crops, to increasing soil protection and boosting microbial activity...
Read more >
How well do you know your upland habitats?
November 21, 2021We often talk about ‘Heather Moorlands’ when referring to the uplands, but there are three distinct upland habitats in which ling heather plays a prominent...
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Regenerative Agriculture – Maintaining A Living Root
November 9, 2021Bill Stewart is a beef finisher from Huntly who grows spring barley to feed his cattle, and he shows us why he believes keeping a...
Read more >
Regenerative Agriculture – Maximising Crop Diversity
November 3, 2021Above ground plant diversity can lead to a more resilient soil by promoting a diverse soil food web with a range of organisms. On farm,...
Read more >
Profitability of Rotations Factsheet
October 11, 2021An ideal rotation should include a balance of different crops. The main aim of a rotation is to provide a profitable sequence that breaks the...
Read more >
Common Grazings – The Benefits for Crofters of a Grazing Committee
September 30, 2021This short guide explains the role of a committee, and the many benefits as a result of being “in—office” – click download to read more.
Read more >
Information Note: Successful Management of Triplet Rearing Ewes and Breeding Hoggs
July 16, 2021Breeding ewe hoggs and managing ewes for more triplets/better triplet performance can lead to increased flock output and profitability. However, if poorly managed, triplet bearing...
Read more >
Organic Oilseed Rape Production in Scotland
June 16, 2021Organically grown oilseed rape is not a crop typically associated with the UK, and certainly not in Scotland. However, this has all started to change...
Read more >More in FAS Problem Solver
Select by an area of interest
Monitoring Flock Performance Case Study (Central)
May 22, 2025John & Alix Ritchie, Montalt Farm, Forgandenny, Perthshire Keeping performance monitoring simple in a grass-based system For the Ritchies at Montalt monitoring body condition of...
Read more >
Red Clover as a home-grown protein in sustainable sheep systems
March 26, 2025Increasing the amount of forage-based protein that can be grown on farm is a key way to address the UK’s protein deficit and reduce reliance...
Read more >
Holistic Management: Part 3 – Holistic Context
March 26, 2024This is the third of a four-part series exploring holistic grassland management. The other articles in this series cover an introduction to Holistic Management, the...
Read more >
Water Scarcity Case Study: Alternative watering of livestock
March 25, 2024Background Following an AECS application in 2016 to fence off watercourses from grazing livestock, combined with a move to outwintering of cattle, Whitriggs Farm had...
Read more >
Holistic Management: Part 2 – Holistic Decision Making Framework
March 19, 2024This is the second of a four-part series exploring holistic grassland management. The other articles in this series cover an introduction to Holistic Management, the...
Read more >
Holistic Management: Part 1 – Introduction
March 7, 2024This is the first of a four-part series exploring Holistic Management. In this article we take a look at the development of Holistic Grazing Management....
Read more >
Converting to Organic Farming
December 18, 2023The lifting of the 1,000 ha limit for organic funding under the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) has resulted in more industry interest in organics. Read...
Read more >
Grazing for Profit and Biodiversity: Adaptive Grazing
December 15, 2023Three Rules of Adaptive Stewardship Grazing Adaptive stewardship grazing is a multi-paddock grazing strategy based on short duration high stock density grazing followed by rest...
Read more >
Getting Your Soil Ready for Organic Farming
October 11, 2023Ensuring soil health is optimal is key to the success of any farming operation, but in an organic system, where there is no option to...
Read more >
Getting Started with Organic Farming – How to Convert to Organic
September 20, 2023Summary This factsheet is the third in a series. The aim of which is to look at How to convert to Organic farming, “How to...
Read more >
Sustainable Sheep Systems: Viewfield Case Study
September 15, 2023Read how the Maxwell family at Viewfield have developed a sustainable low input productive flock through a focus on functional genetics and production off forage....
Read more >
Getting Started with Organic Farming – Is Organic for me?
September 5, 2023Summary This factsheet is the second in a series, the aim of which is to look at the considerations of converting to organic and what...
Read more >
How To Convert To Organic Grassland
August 18, 2023An introduction to the critical factors for a successful Organic conversion. This is the first in a series of Organic Conversion articles which will discuss...
Read more >
Intercropping
May 15, 2023In this video, Donald Dunbar speaks about companion crops, otherwise known as Intercropping, with Jonny Mccririck in the Scottish Borders. As protein prices have been...
Read more >Organics in Scotland Video Series
April 3, 2023Whether you’re considering conversion to organic farming or you’re looking at introducing a different enterprise on your organic farm, the videos in this series look...
Read more >Virtual Fencing
March 30, 2023This case study gives a real life example of how David Whiteford of Maxwelston Farm, South Ayrshire has used virtual fencing to improve his beef and...
Read more >
Grazing Spring Grass for Productive Flocks
February 14, 2023In this final webinar of the 2022/23 grazing for productive flocks series, SAC specialist Daniel Stout provides an overview of pasture measuring and budgeting before...
Read more >Direct Retailing from a Poultry, Dairy, Beef, Sheep & Arable farm – Lower Mill of Tynet Farm
December 14, 2022Gordon & June Whiteford are 1st generation farmers, who have built up their farming business over the last 10 years at Lower Mill of Tynet....
Read more >
Utilising Deferred Cattle Grazing
December 9, 2022In this short video, we visit Giles Henry in the Scottish Borders who has been operating a low input, deferred grazing system for 26 years....
Read more >
Organic Virtual Farm Tour Webinar
December 6, 2022An ideal opportunity to visit Whitriggs farm hosted by Stuart Mitchell without leaving your home in this webinar from Tuesday 29th November. In 2016 Stuart...
Read more >
Forage and Grass Guide
November 17, 2022Well planned and managed forage and grassland provides an opportunity to incorporate more resilience into our beef and sheep businesses. By looking at our forage...
Read more >
Grazing for Profit and Biodiversity at Coldrochie
November 3, 2022Multi-species swards can bring numerous benefits for biodiversity, soil health, grassland productivity and livestock performance being diverse with a wide range of different grasses, legumes...
Read more >
Regenerative Agriculture – Integrating Livestock
December 13, 2021Integrating livestock on arable farms has many benefits from extending the rotation by providing more break crops, to increasing soil protection and boosting microbial activity...
Read more >
How well do you know your upland habitats?
November 21, 2021We often talk about ‘Heather Moorlands’ when referring to the uplands, but there are three distinct upland habitats in which ling heather plays a prominent...
Read more >
Regenerative Agriculture – Maintaining A Living Root
November 9, 2021Bill Stewart is a beef finisher from Huntly who grows spring barley to feed his cattle, and he shows us why he believes keeping a...
Read more >
Regenerative Agriculture – Maximising Crop Diversity
November 3, 2021Above ground plant diversity can lead to a more resilient soil by promoting a diverse soil food web with a range of organisms. On farm,...
Read more >
Profitability of Rotations Factsheet
October 11, 2021An ideal rotation should include a balance of different crops. The main aim of a rotation is to provide a profitable sequence that breaks the...
Read more >
Common Grazings – The Benefits for Crofters of a Grazing Committee
September 30, 2021This short guide explains the role of a committee, and the many benefits as a result of being “in—office” – click download to read more.
Read more >
Information Note: Successful Management of Triplet Rearing Ewes and Breeding Hoggs
July 16, 2021Breeding ewe hoggs and managing ewes for more triplets/better triplet performance can lead to increased flock output and profitability. However, if poorly managed, triplet bearing...
Read more >
Organic Oilseed Rape Production in Scotland
June 16, 2021Organically grown oilseed rape is not a crop typically associated with the UK, and certainly not in Scotland. However, this has all started to change...
Read more >Something else on your mind?