Sustainable Systems: Whole Farm Systems
Find information about whole farm sustainability
Organic Virtual Farm Tour Webinar
An ideal opportunity to visit Whitriggs farm hosted by Stuart Mitchell without leaving your home in this webinar from Tuesday 29th November. In 2016 Stuart replaced his ewe flock with…
Select by an area of interest
Thrill of the Hill – A Cow for the Future
February 28, 2023Episode #10 – A Cow for the Future. We all think we know a good cow when we see one, but how futureproof is she,...
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 >
Nature Based Solutions to Combat Rising Fertiliser Costs
February 10, 2023The rising costs of inorganic fertilisers alongside concerns regarding their environmental impact has seen many Scottish farmers explore alternative solutions. To ensure sufficient nutrients are...
Read more >
The Trading Market for Farmland Carbon
January 30, 2023With Woodland and Peatland Carbon Codes well advanced, in this webinar we take a closer look at the activity in the agricultural farmland sector and...
Read more >
CropCast – Intercropping
December 21, 2022Welcome to CropCast, your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops. Each month, SAC advisor, Tiffany Mactaggart will be joined by...
Read more >
Managing a Mixed Farming Enterprise Organically – Knock Farm
December 19, 2022Roger Polson & Tom Mutter explain how the farm at Knock has been managed organically for the last 15 years, and explain why they became...
Read more >
Growing Organic Vegetables for a Box Scheme – Bridgefoot Organics
December 14, 2022Bridgefoot Organics is a long established organic vegetable growing business that grows a wide variety of vegetables for customers in North East Scotland. Matthew Touche...
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 >
Grazing for Profit and Biodiversity at Tullochgorum
November 23, 2022In this video, farmer Duncan Miller, and Nikki Yoxhall from Pasture for Life, discuss how deferring pasture in the summer for cattle winter grazing has...
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: Deferred Grazing
November 4, 2022Deferring (setting aside) pasture in the summer for grazing in the winter months provides the opportunity to outwinter cattle with significantly reduced winter costs (cost...
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 >
Grazing for Profit and Biodiversity: Grazing Strategies
October 28, 2022Equally important to both profit and biodiversity as pasture composition, is the way in which we graze the pasture with livestock. Grazing duration, intensity and...
Read more >
Setting up Deferred Cattle Grazing
August 18, 2022In this short video, Robert Ramsay from SAC Consulting covers the principals and benefits of setting up a ‘deferred grazing’ system for suckler cows to...
Read more >
StockTalk – Sheep Systems & Grazing Strategies with Poppy Frater (July 2022)
July 28, 2022In this podcast we hear from SAC Sheep and Grazing Specialist Poppy Frater, who will discuss current issues, opportunities and options for sheep producers. Poppy...
Read more >
CropCast – Cover Crops & Green Manures
July 20, 2022Welcome to CropCast, your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops. Each month, SAC advisor, Tiffany Mactaggart will be joined by...
Read more >
Grazing Principles for Productive Flocks
June 2, 2022In this webinar recorded 26th May, Poppy Frater and Daniel Stout of SAC’s GrazeUp discuss the core principles of effective grazing management to optimise pasture...
Read more >
Grassland Productivity Grazing Management
May 30, 2022In this video we hear from Poppy Frater, Grassland Specialist as SAC Consulting, discussing tips and strategies to make more from grass considering...
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 >
There’s More Than One Way to Fence in Livestock!
December 9, 2021There’s more than one way to fence in livestock! In this webinar we looked at 3 different fencing options. Synne Foos Bundal from Nofence, the...
Read more >
Winter Rotational Grazing The Ewe Flock
November 26, 2021Winter is a great time for rotational grazing sheep as we know the likely grass growth (very little) and we can ration grass allocation to...
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 >Thrill of The Hill – Heather Management
October 12, 2021Scotland is host to the largest concentration of heather moorland in the world with huge biodiversity interest and carbon holding potential. In this sixteenth episode...
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 >
Autumn And Winter Grazing Considerations
September 21, 2021Grazing management must always balance the livestock needs in the present with an eye on the future, this is particularly relevant through the autumn and...
Read more >
Cropcast: Sustainable Variety Choices
July 22, 2021Join SRUC’s Prof Fiona Burnett as she talks to Donald Dunbar from SAC Consulting and Dr Steve Hoad from SRUC. In this episode of the...
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
Thrill of the Hill – A Cow for the Future
February 28, 2023Episode #10 – A Cow for the Future. We all think we know a good cow when we see one, but how futureproof is she,...
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 >Nature Based Solutions to Combat Rising Fertiliser Costs
February 10, 2023The rising costs of inorganic fertilisers alongside concerns regarding their environmental impact has seen many Scottish farmers explore alternative solutions. To ensure sufficient nutrients are...
Read more >The Trading Market for Farmland Carbon
January 30, 2023With Woodland and Peatland Carbon Codes well advanced, in this webinar we take a closer look at the activity in the agricultural farmland sector and...
Read more >CropCast – Intercropping
December 21, 2022Welcome to CropCast, your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops. Each month, SAC advisor, Tiffany Mactaggart will be joined by...
Read more >Managing a Mixed Farming Enterprise Organically – Knock Farm
December 19, 2022Roger Polson & Tom Mutter explain how the farm at Knock has been managed organically for the last 15 years, and explain why they became...
Read more >Growing Organic Vegetables for a Box Scheme – Bridgefoot Organics
December 14, 2022Bridgefoot Organics is a long established organic vegetable growing business that grows a wide variety of vegetables for customers in North East Scotland. Matthew Touche...
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 >Grazing for Profit and Biodiversity at Tullochgorum
November 23, 2022In this video, farmer Duncan Miller, and Nikki Yoxhall from Pasture for Life, discuss how deferring pasture in the summer for cattle winter grazing has...
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: Deferred Grazing
November 4, 2022Deferring (setting aside) pasture in the summer for grazing in the winter months provides the opportunity to outwinter cattle with significantly reduced winter costs (cost...
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 >Grazing for Profit and Biodiversity: Grazing Strategies
October 28, 2022Equally important to both profit and biodiversity as pasture composition, is the way in which we graze the pasture with livestock. Grazing duration, intensity and...
Read more >Setting up Deferred Cattle Grazing
August 18, 2022In this short video, Robert Ramsay from SAC Consulting covers the principals and benefits of setting up a ‘deferred grazing’ system for suckler cows to...
Read more >StockTalk – Sheep Systems & Grazing Strategies with Poppy Frater (July 2022)
July 28, 2022In this podcast we hear from SAC Sheep and Grazing Specialist Poppy Frater, who will discuss current issues, opportunities and options for sheep producers. Poppy...
Read more >CropCast – Cover Crops & Green Manures
July 20, 2022Welcome to CropCast, your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops. Each month, SAC advisor, Tiffany Mactaggart will be joined by...
Read more >Grazing Principles for Productive Flocks
June 2, 2022In this webinar recorded 26th May, Poppy Frater and Daniel Stout of SAC’s GrazeUp discuss the core principles of effective grazing management to optimise pasture...
Read more >Grassland Productivity Grazing Management
May 30, 2022In this video we hear from Poppy Frater, Grassland Specialist as SAC Consulting, discussing tips and strategies to make more from grass considering...
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 >There’s More Than One Way to Fence in Livestock!
December 9, 2021There’s more than one way to fence in livestock! In this webinar we looked at 3 different fencing options. Synne Foos Bundal from Nofence, the...
Read more >Winter Rotational Grazing The Ewe Flock
November 26, 2021Winter is a great time for rotational grazing sheep as we know the likely grass growth (very little) and we can ration grass allocation to...
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 >Thrill of The Hill – Heather Management
October 12, 2021Scotland is host to the largest concentration of heather moorland in the world with huge biodiversity interest and carbon holding potential. In this sixteenth episode...
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 >Autumn And Winter Grazing Considerations
September 21, 2021Grazing management must always balance the livestock needs in the present with an eye on the future, this is particularly relevant through the autumn and...
Read more >Cropcast: Sustainable Variety Choices
July 22, 2021Join SRUC’s Prof Fiona Burnett as she talks to Donald Dunbar from SAC Consulting and Dr Steve Hoad from SRUC. In this episode of the...
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 >