Stock Talk
Latest Episode:
In this episode we hear from Jan Vos, Agronomist from Agrovista & Lorna Galloway SAC Consultant from SAC Stranraer Office. They talk about soil health, agronomy, and sustainable practices to get the desired outcome – healthy crops and effective weed management. They also talk about the best way to establish and keep clover in the sward and a clover-safe herbicide that is undergoing trials and should be available to use soon. Rushes and bracken control is also discussed. Read more>>
In this podcast we hear from Bruce Wyper, Stockperson at SRUC Easter Howgate. He talks about some of the projects have been going on at Easter Howgate including GreenCow and Green Shed. He also discusses the move to running the herd more commercially than it has been previously although it is still a farm used for research projects. He talks about the challenges the herd has faced including Johnes and fertility issues and how dynamic health planning has helped them to improve the performance of the herd. Read more>>
Previous Episodes:
Season 3:
In this podcast we hear from Vic and Jason Ballantyne, who are tenant farmers on the edge of Brora. They talk about their forage based farming system and the importance of their low input system to achieve a good a work-life balance. Vic and Jason are continually trying to improve the genetics in their livestock through a strict culling policy. They currently run 100 suckler cows and 400 ewes of their own plus they contract farm a further 230 ewes. Read more >>
In this episode, host Robert Ramsay speaks to Graham Lofthouse, beef and sheep farmer from Bankhouse Farm, in the Scottish Borders, and winner of the AgriScot Scottish Sheep Farmer of the Year award 2016. Robert and Graham discuss the strategies and challenges of rotational grazing systems, lamb growth, flock efficiency, genetics and how Graham established his wool-shedding flock. Read more >>
In this podcast we hear from Andrew Marchant. He started on his tenanted farm, Clonhie Farm, with 12 ewes and worked off-farm in order to maximise income for the farm in the initial years to allow him to purchase stock and build up numbers on the farm quicker. As well as building up stock numbers he explored different enterprises, now having a herd of 65 pure Luing and Aberdeen Angus cross Luing cows, a flock of 850 ewes, 200 Aberdeen Angus cross dairy stores (purchased as weaned calves), and a deer herd. He also has a contract farming agreement in place which allows him access to another income stream. Andrew has continually expanded his business, gaining extra rented land nearby allowing him to build stock numbers further. His farming system is relatively extensive and low input with cows outwintered and ewes lambing outside. The cow and sheep genetics are improving from buying in performance recorded tups and ewes, and more recently, Andrew has started using wool shedding tups. He highlights the importance of turnover and cashflow to make his business work and he isn’t afraid to purchase inputs if he thinks he can make a profit from doing so. Read more >>
In this podcast we hear from David Kerr, ScotEID’s Technical Manager. He speaks about cattle EID tags and their importance in the future for traceability for food safety and disease control. David tells us about the technology and the differences between Ultra High Frequency (UHF) tags which will be used for cattle tags, and Low Frequency (LF) tags which are used in sheep tags. David explains the minimal affect this will have on beef farmers once compulsory EID tagging of cattle comes into effect – the minimum is to tag the calf with a pink EID tag. The use of EID readers and performance recording etc is all optional and up to the farmer if they wish to use them to its full benefit as a management tool. Read more >>
In this podcast we hear from James Biggar who has drastically changed his farming system in recent years. James talks about the importance of options and having a Plan B in case of a crop failure in his system. We speak to Lorna about soil health and how important it is setting up for growing a forage crop including the factors you need to think about beforehand. James talks about how he has learnt a lot from going to events and approaching farmers with a similar system. Read more >>
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