Here at Glendale Engineering, we are proud to be able to say that we have over 35 years’ experience designing and manufactur ing Agricultural Buildings & Equipment.
• Special offers available on Cattle & Sheep Hurdles, Gates & Water Troughs •
Suppliers of:
Suppliers of:
-Cattle Handling & Feeding Equipment
• Cattle Handling & Feeding Equipment
-Sheep Handling & Feeding Equipment
-Sheep Portarace
• Sheep Handling & Feeding Equipment
- ATV Trailers
• Sheep Portarace
- Agricultural Buildings
• ATV Trailers
-Electronic Cattle & Sheep Weigh Systems
• Agricultural Buildings
- Large quantity of box section and pipe, Phone for special offers
TEAGLE 8100 TRAILED STRAWBEDDER c/w swivel chute, 2012 model
TEAGLE TOMAHAWK 8100 2018 Build Good condition
TEAGLE 1010SC Bluetooth control box
NEW / EX STOCK
FENDT 160 V COMBI EX STOCK
NEW NC FORK MOUNTED YARD BRUSHES 2.5m & 3m EX STOCK
NEW TEAGLE 8500/9500/1010 STRAW/SILAGE BEDDER FEEDERS EX STOCK
MERLO TF42.7CS Cab & Boom suspension, LED work Lights, Full Spec EX DEMO
MURRAY 4CUBIC GRAIN BUCKET c/w Q Fit Brackets and Bolt on Wear Plate
SKY X40+ ECONOV FERTILISER SPREADER weight cells
SUMO 3M TRIO EX DEMO
SUMO 3M TRAILER TRIO EX DEMO
TEAGLE DUAL 280 & 300 FLAIL TOPPERS
NEW SUMO FRONT WEIGHTS 1000kg, 1500kg, 2000kg EX STOCK
With economic uncertainty and significant tax changes on the horizon, knowing the accurate value of your farm or estate has never been more important.
A Red Book Valuation follows global standards and is critical for tax planning, several legal scenarios and long-term clarity.
This comprehensive information can aid crucial conversations with advisers, reduce disputes within families, and give confidence when borrowing money, selling assets or planning your succession.
Our team of RICS Registered Valuers can undertake Red Book Valuations for a multitude of rural assets and full estates.
DUAL INPUT GEARBOX + PTO CLUTCH GRADING BOX KIT, LED ROAD LIGHTS, COMPLETE WITH MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY
PRICE £18,950.00
863SW PRO BC TRAILED BEDDER / SHREDDER WITH 3 CU/M, 1500KG LOAD CAPACITY, TWO SPEED GEARBOX, BELT CLUTCH, SMOOTH CHAMBER WITH FLOOR CHAIN, SHREDDER DRUM FEED CONTROL WITH SLIM FLYWHEEL & BLOWING PADDLES,4 STAGE 260 DEG SWIVEL DISCHARGE CHUTE AND ELECTRIC CONTROLS, PTO DRIVE SHAFT, FULL MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY
SPECIAL PRICE £11,400.00
5.2M WORK WIDTH 3-PT MOUNTED, V-SHAPED HEADSTOCK 4 ROTORS EACH WITH 6 TINE ARMS, EACH ARM USES 10MM SUPER-C TINE, ALUMINIUM ROTOR RAIL
3232mt 3.2M CUT, MOWER CONDITIONER, 3-PT MOUNTED, QUATTROLINK SUSPENSION, ProFit QUICK CHANGE KNIVES, 8 x 2 BLADED COUNTER ROTATING DISCS, DUAL ADJUSTMENT CONDITIONER HOOD SEMI-SWING STEEL TINES, NON-STOP BREAKAWAY PROTECTION, VERTICAL TRANSPORT & STORAGE, 1000RPM PTO DRIVE SHAFT, NEW AND STILL IN BOX , FULL MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY
WIDTH, 3-POINT LINKAGE MOUNTED, GALVANISED DECK FULLY GEAR DRIVEN WITH RUBBER SHOCK ABSORBERS, 2 HIGH SPEED ROTORS WITH TWIN CUT SWINGING BLADE SYSTEM, RUNS AT 540 RPM, T60 PTO SHAFT & OVERRUN CLUTCH ,HEIGHT OF CUT FROM 12 - 25OMM, FULL MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY SPECIAL PRICE £3,250.00
Key Features:
FOR SALE BELT DRYER
Throughput Capacity: 10-50 tonnes per hour
Allows 500kW of constant chilled output 24/7
Energy Efficient: Runs at just 20-25kW
Versatile Applications: Ideal for drying woodchips, sawdust, grain, and biomass
Included:
75kw centrifugal fan
Includes digital speed drive.
Heat exchangers
2 x existing secondary heat exchangers mounted horizontally
3 new (second hand) heat exchangers
Intake chain feeder
Spinning paddle centrally located
Control board
Variable speed belt
Variables peed fan system (runs at 20kw for 400kw)
variable seed intake chain drag
£150,000 +VAT
The Old Smiddy, Graden, Kelso, TD5 8BS
Telephone : 01573430338
Email : info@walkergroundworks.com
The Old Smiddy, Graden, Kelso, TD5 8BS
Telephone : 01573 430338
Email : info@walkergroundworks.com
Walker Groundworks are a long-serving company, established in 1996, covering a working area including but not restricted to the Scottish Borders, Northumberland and the Lothians.
Our highly skilled and dedicated team are here to help with any of the following works:
• Earthworks/Site Preparation/Roads
• Crushing
Walker Groundworks are a long-serving company, established in 1996, covering a working area including but not restricted to the Scottish Borders, Northumberland and the Lothians.
• Groundworks/Plotworks
• Deep Drainage
• Field Drainage & Ditching
• River Works
• Concrete Flooring for Agricultural/Industrial Shed (Laid with highly accurate Laser Screed, with finish to meet clients' requirements)
• All Timber work undertaken – including Harvesting, Hand Cutting, Thinnings & Clear Fell
• Haulage including Heavy Plant Movement, Timber Haulage & Hiab Hire
Our highly skilled and dedicated team are here to help with any of the following works:
• In house Welding Engineer/Steel Fabricator
• Earthworks/Site preparation/Roads
• Crushing
• In house setting out engineer/surveyor
• Groundworks/Plotworks
• Deep Drainage
• Field Drainage and Ditching
• River Works
• Concrete Flooring for Agricultural/Industrial Shed (Laid with highly accurate Laser Screed, with finish to meet clients’ requirements)
• All Timber work undertaken – including Harvesting, Hand Cutting, Thinnings and Clear Fell
• Haulage including Heavy Plant Movement, Timber Haulage and Hiab Hire
Specialising in the supply of high quality used storage tanks and bowsers for sale and hire throughout the UK. We keep a varied stock of fully bunded and singleskinned mild steel, stainless steel, plastic and GRP tanks and bowsers ideal for storing fuels, oils, water, effluents, fertilisers and feed products
We also purchase tanks - please get in touch to discuss your requirements.
www.best-tanks.co.uk
info@best-tanks.co.uk
The
Flywheel
3.0m2
2-Speed gearbox for bedding or feeding configurations.
NEW M-TEC 12X6 LIVESTOCK TRAILER SLURRY TANK, SHEEP DECKS £7950+VAT
2X NEW CF MOTO U10 PRO HIGHLAND THE UTV OF THE FUTURE, 90HP 3 CYLINDER ENGINE, ELEC FRONT & SIDE WINDOWS, HEATED CAB, HEATED SEATS, ELEC TILT BED, FRONT WINCH, METALLIC GREEN £22500+VAT
2X NEW CF MOTO U10 PRO HIGHLAND THE UTV OF THE FUTURE, 90HP 3 CYLINDER ENGINE, ELEC FRONT & SIDE WINDOWS, HEATED CAB, HEATED SEATS, ELEC TILT BED, FRONT WINCH, METALLIC RED £22500+VAT
NEW CFMOTO CFORCE 520 ATV POWER STEERING, CVT TRANSMISSION, FRONT WINCH ROAD LEGAL £6250+VAT
NEW CFMOTO CFORCE 450 POWER STEERING, CVT TRANSMISSION, FRONT WINCH, ROAD LEGAL £5950+VAT
NEW QUICKE 240SM+ BUCKET BOLT ON BRACKETS AVAILABLE IN ANY SIZE £750+VAT
NEW QUICKE SILOGRAB 210M+ ON EURO BRACKETS £2450+VAT
NEW LWC 3 POINT LINKAGE HYDRAULIC BALE CARRIER £1950+VAT
NEW LWC 1.5M MUCK GRAB ON EURO BRACKETS £1950+VAT
NEW AB WIGHT HEAVY DUTY 8FT 10 TINE MUCK FORK ANY TELEHANDER BRACKETS £2300+VAT
NEW AB WIGHT 60 DEGREE VEE DITCHING BUCKET 8 TONNE ANY BRACKETS £1150+VAT
NEW AB WIGHT EURO TO QFIT FIT ADAPTER FRAME £750+VAT
NEW FLEMING TOP4 4FT TOPPER £1250+VAT
NEW OXDALE 3 POINT LINKAGE HYDRAULIC LOG SPLITTER £850+VAT
NEW AB WIGHT HEAVY DUTY GALV 5X3 ATV TRAILER £850+VAT
NEW AB WIGHT HEAVY DUTY IBC TRAILER GALVANISED CHASSIS C/W DRINKING BOWL £895+VAT
NEW McHALE R5 BALE GRAB ON EURO BRACKETS £1450+VAT ⋙ U S E D T R A C T O R S & M A C H I N E R Y ⋙
2012 McCORMICK X60.20 100HP, 40KPH POWER SHUTTLE TRANSMISSION COMPLETE WITH LOADER £23000+VAT
2009 NEW HOLLAND T6030 115HP 40KPH £26500 +VAT
2013 JCB 536-60 AGRI SUPER TELEHANDLER £21000+VAT
2016 LELY WELGER RP160V BALER £15000+VAT
2016 LELY WELGER PR445 BALER £12500+VAT
2011 NEW HOLLAND B7040 BALER £7500+VAT
IFOR WILLIAMS LM106G DROP SIDE TRAILER £1950+VAT
November 2025 Wendy writes
DEAR BILL
Apart from folk around my age, most of you will never have heard of the “Dear Bill” letters that were published in Private Eye. Supposedly written by the then spouse of the Prime Minister, Denis Thatcher. The series took the form of fortnightly letters to “Bill” by his friend and golfing partner “Denis”. The letters were split equally between reactionary grumblings about the state of the country and vituperative comments on contemporary politics, with regular passing references to the goings-on of a fictional collection of acquaintances and the consumption of a quite remarkable quantity of gin.
Long Service Awards
Long Service Awards
Long Service Awards
Dear Bill
RHASS Long Service Awards may be presented to those employees who have been full-time employment in rural, agricultural and support service industries for 30, 50 years. Applicants must be with one continuous employer or business.
RHASS Long Service Awards may be presented to those employees who have been in full-time employment in rural, agricultural and support service industries for 30, 40 or 50 years. Applicants must be with one continuous employer or business.
RHASS Long Service Awards may be presented to those employees who have full-time employment in rural, agricultural and support service industries for 30, 50 years. Applicants must be with one continuous employer or business.
Awards may be presented to applicants in the Scottish Borders via the Border Union Agricultural Society.
Awards may be presented to applicants in the Scottish Borders via the Border Agricultural Society.
Awards may be presented to applicants in the Scottish Borders via the Border Union Agricultural Society
I have had an insatiable desire for over two years to write my own – so here goes...
Guidelines and Application forms can be downloaded from www.rhass.org.uk/get
Guidelines and Application forms can be downloaded from www.rhass.org.uk/get
funding/awards/ and www.borderunion.co.uk/education/long-service-awards/
funding/awards/ and www.borderunion.co.uk/education/long-service-awards/
Not since August 23rd 2023 have I been asked to negotiate the long and winding road to Bonnington Farm. Down your bumpy drive, past the Oak Tree, turning right and then left, over the narrow bridge. Having to do that 3 point turn as I cannot turn sharp enough by the egg hut to get round in one manoeuvre. Waiting in your steading for further instructions. I would then go and pull one of your three hen houses. Do you know how many times I have pulled sheds for you? The first time was January 9th 2009, a total of 33 pulls. But no more, I have been dropped, no Christmas Card, no enquiries after my health, nothing. After years of loyal service I have gone out of your life. When I heard you had invested in two more sheds my heart leapt at the prospect of more work but to no avail.
I know what must have happened – he was rude to you, he charged you excessively, and you wanted no more to do with him. I understand I have to tolerate his moods and thoughtlessness the whole time. If you can see a way round this, I would love to visit you and Margaret again. Maybe young Russell is home and calling the shots. He’s going away next month, so now is the chance to repair our relationship. I don’t charge –he does. Please write confidentially to me.
As always covered in oil and grease
Wendy
Guidelines and application forms can be downloaded from www.rhass.org.uk/get-funding/awards/ & www.borderunion.co.uk/education/long-service-awards/
Quality Steel Framed Buildings
HEARING ASSESSMENTS
Borders Hearing Care is a fully independent hearing healthcare centre based in the Scottish Borders.
Shona Jackson & Andrew Quinn have a combined experience of over 30 years, and provide professional skills, advice, and care to our clients.
Working with all of the world’s leading manufacturers, we provide hearing assessments, hearing aid fittings, tinnitus management, noise protection, ear wax removal and first class aftercare.
Call us for more information or to make an appointment!
• Emergency First Aid At Work - +F Also Available
• Chainsaw – Maintenance & Cross Cutting
• Fork Lift Truck – Telescopic or Industrial
• Abrasive Wheels
• Manual Handling
• Welfare Of Animals In Transit
• Mowers – Pedestrian & Ride On
• Strimmers & Brushcutters
• ATV – Sit On & Sit In Please get in touch for availability and prices
Contact: Training Organiser- Gillian R McFadyen Tel 01573 440538 • Mobile 07767 757013 Gillian@borderstraininggroup.co.uk www.borderstraininggroup.co.uk The following short courses are available to book over the next few months:
SHONA
Rodent Shield™ Bundle
The new JCB 4220 Fastrac iCON. Discover the most productive Fastrac yet. PUTTING YOU IN TOTAL CONTROL
ASK ABOUT OUR SUBSIDISED FINANCE OFFER PLUS FREE 3 YEARS / 3000 HOUR WARRANTY ON FASTRAC SUBJECT TO TERMS & CONDITIONS
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ON TOP OF BEING THE WORLD’S No.1 OUR BEST CAB EVER
Earlston
Thorburn Group, Duns
Lower Mansfield Road, Hawick, TD9 8AW
Willowford Farm, Jedburgh
Thorburn Group, Duns
DRONE CROP SPRAYING & SPREADING
Dunbar, East Lothian | Dunbar: 7 miles, Haddington: 9 miles, Edinburgh: 27 miles
Lot 1 - 174 acres arable, mainly Class 3 1, 193 acres in total
Offers over £1 800 000
Lot 2 - 79 acres arable Class 2 and 3 1 102 acres in total
Offers over £800,000
Lot 3 - 53 acres of amenity woodland
Offers over £100,000
Offers over £2 7 million (whole)
Heritable
About 349 acres
For sale as a whole or in 3 lots
Luke French
+44 (0) 7968 550 338 lfrench@savills com
Rhona Campbell-Crawford
+44 (0) 7974 907 566
Rhona campbellcrawford@savills com
TARGETED ACCURACY. ZERO SOIL COMPACTION. REDUCED WASTE.
SPRAYING & SPREADING
• Fertilisers & bio stimulants – liquid, granular, seaweed & urea, other (nonMAPP)
UNIVERSAL RECEIVER SF1 correction signal with +/- 15 cm pass-to-pass accuracy free of charge
Seamless streaming and synchronization of machine and farm data for free
Plan, Monitor, and Analyse your data –anytime, anywhere.
£2,841 ONE-OFF (EXCL.VAT)* FOR FREE £941 PER YEAR LICENSES FROM
JDLINK™ M MODEM
John Deere 5105M, 2025.
John Deere 6110M, 2018
John Deere 6120M, Choice
John Deere 6120SE, 2003
John Deere 6130R, 2019
John Deere 6130R, 2020
John Deere 6145M, Choice
John Deere 6155R, 2018
John Deere 6155R, 2018
John Deere 6155R, 2020
John Deere 6155R, Choice
John Deere 6175R PG 3P, 2022
John Deere 6175R, 2019
John Deere 6195R, 2022
John Deere 6330, 2009
John Deere 6630, 2010
John Deere 6195R, 2015
John Deere 6215R, choice
John Deere 6250R, Choice
John Deere 8400R, 2018
Deutz-Fahr 6180, Choice 2014, 2015
New Holland T7.210
MACHINE OF THE
John Deere 5105M, 2025.
John Deere 6110M, 2018
John Deere 6120M, Choice
John Deere 6120SE, 2003
John Deere 6130R, 2019
John Deere 6130R, 2020
John Deere 6145M, Choice
John Deere 6155R, 2018
John Deere 6155R, 2018
John Deere 6155R, 2020
John Deere 6155R, Choice
John Deere 6175R PG 3P, 2022
John Deere 6175R, 2019
John Deere 6195R, 2022
John Deere 6330, 2009
John Deere 6630, 2010
John Deere 6195R, 2015
John Deere 6215R, choice
John Deere 6250R, Choice
John Deere 8400R, 2018
Deutz-Fahr 6180, Choice 2014, 2015
New Holland T7.210
MACHINE
BLUE CHIP FORESTRY AND VEGETATION
MULCHING
All types of Brash, Gorse, Willow and Rhododendron mulched to 3 inches below ground level
High-Capacity Mulcher powered by 500 HP Fendt
Quickly clears large areas with ease
EXCAVATOR & MULCHING HEAD
Various sizes of machines
For Hard to access areas
BIOMASS CHIPPING
Biomass G30 and G50 Chipping
High-Capacity Chipping up to 300 cube per hour
Brash Chipping Site Clearances
Talking......Business with Edwin Thompson
ROBOTIC FORESTRY MULCHER & FLAIL
Minimise ground disturbance
Slopes up to 55 degrees
High Performance Fixed Tooth mulching head
● 1.3m Cutting head with a variety of flails for grass cutting & Vegetation
TREE HARVESTING
● Clear Felling & Wind-blown trees
● Thinning’s
● Timber Forwarding
● Felling Licences
● Brash Recovery
Jack Frater is an Agricultural Consultant at Edwin Thompson, based in their office in Galashiels. Jack specialising in Farm and Estate Management
They say a week is a long time in politics, but we are now a year on from the first budget to be delivered by Rachel Reeves and it’s fair to say that her various decisions regarding APR and BPR are still cause for concern. There were rumours circulating at the start of October that the Chancellor was looking to change the threshold and potentially increase it to £5 million, however this does appear unlikely therefore we wait for the 26th of November with anticipation and dread. If you have not yet done so, there is still time to engage with your advisors and accountants to discuss the options available to you.
Since the budget a year ago we have experienced another very dry summer which has impacted cereal growth and quality to a degree. This is comparable to 2022 but this time the price of grain has dropped significantly, the best example of this I have seen is the same farm in East Lothian selling oats this year for exactly £200/t less than three years ago.
All things considered the Borders, East Lothian and north Northumberland have fared well with yields compensating for that drop in value, and the abundance of straw providing additional cash income. Spare a thought for those further north as we have been hearing of barley crops not even making the grade for feed, and those in various parts of the south with not much to harvest at all.
Beef and lamb prices have stayed strong throughout the year, although the correlation between store and finished prices appears as disconnected as ever, but hopefully the winter feed bills will be a bit lower, offsetting the cost of any Blue Tongue vaccinations. In Scotland the FFIS outcomes have been announced which makes for somewhat depressing reading. We knew from the outset that this was going to be oversubscribed but only 22% of applications were successful, and it would appear that the ‘priority’ groups such as new entrants, young farmers and tenants have not been prioritised. Concerns have already been raised in Holyrood by opposition parties but at the time of writing this article we have not seen anything in the way of feedback. I suspect this will become yet another political football which Mr Fairlie MSP and friends will undoubtedly use to blame Westminster. Once again there appears to be an underlying level of uncertainty around the farming industry, which is yet another reason why understanding your business, be it performance or cost control, is so important. Funding remains available to Scottish farmers through the Farm Advisory Service to assist with such things as business reviews, forward planning and budgeting, I strongly recommend you take advantage of this to make your business more resilient to change.
For further information on assistance available through the Farm Advisory Service, please feel free to contact me on 01896 751300, or via email to j.frater@edwin-thompson.co.uk
November 2025
J & J Grant
Scotland’s Spreading Specialists
5 spreaders available to meet your precision spreading requirements
High output LGP machines to minimise soil and crop damage
Weighing systems and auto steer fitted
We supply our own loader and fuel to minimise disturbance to the customer
Blanket or variable rate lime spreading compatible with all mapping systems
The following can be supplied and accurately applied
Lime, Compost, Slag, Henpen, Fibrophos, FYM, Gypsum, other organic materials
Soil Mapping service
• correct variations across fields
• independent analysis
• 4 samples/ha for accurate pH maps
• all nutrients can be tested
• recommendations to suit your enterprise
Contact us to discuss how we can help reduce your costs with the use of organic products Tel 01875 320363 Mob 07703 113178
Graham Contracts Ltd
IF YOUR FARM TRACK OR FOREST ROAD NEEDS SOME ATTENTION, WE HAVE THE SKILLS, MACHINERY AND EXPERIENCE TO DELIVER A LASTING SOLUTION.
• REDUCES OR ELIMINATES THE NEED TO IMPORT MATERIALS.
• IMPROVES DRAINAGE TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE.
• QUICK AND EFFECTIVE SOLUTION THAT MINIMISES DISRUPTION TO TRAFFIC MOVEMENTS.
www.billrae.co.uk
Two
Direct
Rejuvenation
Ploughing / Sowing
Fertiliser Spreading
Agri Haulage
Groundworks / Dump trailers
Topping & Mulching
Tubeline Bale Wrapping
CONTRACTORS SERVICES
On Our Farm
November 12th 2025
Hugo Lee farms in partnership with his father, Guy, at Sandystones, near St Boswells. Arable crops of wheat, oilseed rape, malting barley and oats are grown, 500 Angus cattle are finished annually, 8000 organic hens produce eggs for Waitrose and 8,000 organic point of lay pullets are reared each year.
I have just come back from our annual benchmarking group, on farm, winter meeting. The mood at the meeting would be best described as optimistic but cautious. Everyone reported good yields at harvest which helped alleviate the lower prices. The big uncertainty ahead is the Chancellor’s next budget which could be the final nail in the coffin for many a farming business especially in the South. The last loads of wheat were delivered in late October which allowed me to run the arable margins for 2025 harvest. It has turned out to be one of our best harvests in recent years due to very high yields across the board. Organic winter oats was head and shoulders above the other crops for the third consecutive year producing a net margin of £1810/ha. High erucic oilseed rape came second at £1400/ha and winter wheat was third despite yielding 10.9t/ha. Winter and spring barley dragged up the rear which has been a common theme for a number of years now.
Last week I bit the bullet and bought all my fertiliser for next year. Having spoken to a number of people in the industry the general consensus was that prices would only be increasing. This is mainly due to a new EU carbon tax on fertiliser which is to come into force in January 2026 and will result in a 10-20% price increase. UK suppliers are also reporting a very slow market with only 40% sold to date. In a normal year they would be 60% sold. The fear is a repeat of last year when everyone bought late and there was not the product or transport available to get fertiliser on farm in the spring. Only time will tell if I got it right however I can report that my fertiliser is being delivered quicker than my wife’s Amazon Prime purchases. I ordered it last Friday and the first lorry load arrived on Monday.
Bird flu is back with avengeance this autumn with new cases being reported daily. The virus has mutated over the summer and become stronger and more dangerous than ever. There are now housing orders in England and Wales. It is looking like a very long winter ahead. Once again all we can do is maintain very high levels of biosecurity. In this uncertain, troublesome and unpredictable world we live in at least there is one thing that will always remain constant - the All Blacks beating Scotland. I was very fortunate to be invited up to Murrayfield last Saturday. The atmosphere during the second half was incredible and there were moments when we all dared to dream this could be the day. However once again it wasn’t to be and we all will just have to wait another three years. It is the hope that kills us!
OFFICE : 01890 840 251 MOBILE : DAVID 07971 409 367 KENNY 07971 409 371
Winter Organic Oats produced the best net margin again
Contact:
Connon Construction Ltd.
Construction of shuttered slurry tanks and silos (all built to SEPA requirements)
Christopher07843 208 544
Patrick07701 040 681
Contact:
Christopher07843 208 544
Connon Farms
Greenknowe
Slurry spreading available with umbilical, dribble bars and ferry tankers. Tractors on floatation tyres
Dung spreader hire or complete service
Complete silage service
All types of digger work undertaken
Patrick07701 040 681
Connon Farms / Connon Construction
Connon Farms / Connon Construction
CONTRACTORS SERVICES
SCOTT
John Renton
Agricultural Engineer Tel 07774 163899
Also on-site hydraulic hose repairs
1,2,4 wire hose from 1/4” - 1”
BSP, JIC, ORFS, metric & flange fittings etc.
Trailer brake & Q/R couplings
Talking......Organic
J Hepburn & Co
Film binding instead of net wrap results in more plastic where the bale needs it most on the barrel, only one recycling stream as well. 25 knife bank giving 45mm chop length with bale getting wrapped immediately out the bale chamber. Onboard bale weighing giving average bale weight and total weight of crop baled. Application of inoculants or additives.
November 12th 2025
Simon Bainbridge farms in partnership with his wife Claire and his mother Elisabeth in Northumberland. They run suckler beef, sheep and laying hen enterprises across 650 ha of mainly SDA and moorland - organically. With the nights drawing in and a shift in the weather, the cows are making their way in and the winter routine is well on its way. Silage analysis has shown that we have the quality but sadly not the quantity. Tups are out and the hens are in. Bird flu this year appears to be particularly virulent with cases daily. Biosecurity as ever is key.
Last week Claire and I went to the C.L.A.’s, Northern Farming Conference held at Hexham Mart, which was well attended by both farmers and professionals. The lineup was impressive with Alistair Carmichael MP, EFRA chair and MP for Orkney and Shetland, Lord Curry of Kirkharle, Baroness Minette Batters and Jeremy Moody from the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers for the opening session. Much was discussed, but Jeremy Moody made a comment that stuck. The biggest change in UK agriculture for the last 80 years was instigated last October when the government reduced the BPS payment to next to nothing, effectively removing agricultural support for the first time since WWII. A massive shift for UK agriculture is under way. Jeremy’s view was that this should be treated as an opportunity that allows farmers to actually run their businesses the way they want to rather than being constrained by government policy. That sounds fine, but sadly this government and previous ones have completely removed any thought of a level playing field for trade. The EU has reintroduced production based payments, our planning laws hinder us and new taxes strangle us. This opportunity is definitely going to be a challenge.
However much we grumble south of the border about our government, north of the border the Scottish government has made a colossal change with approval of its Land Reform Bill. Currently set at 1000 hectares, the worry is that this will slide and before long approval to sell will be required and communities will have an input on much smaller land parcels. The concern for me on both sides of the border is that land laws and policy is currently being made by those who have no idea how these changes will shift many elements of our rural world, including employment opportunities, food production, rural communities and what the countryside will look like. With the budget due on November 26th its crystal ball time. Will Rachel Reeves rein back on her IHT changes - probably not. Will she increase income tax - possibly. Will there be side swipes at the rural communities - no doubt. We will wait and see, but my best bet is that there will be very little positive news. Gone are the days when the headline of 1p on or off a pint was the major headline.
I attended the C.L.A North East Regional board meeting today at Hexham, which had a very full agenda. There is so much going on behind the scenes but sadly very little to show for it. In terms of schemes such as SFI, the change in Minister has meant the process starts again, so sadly there won’t be much news until the Spring. They may also be waiting to see Baroness Batters’ report on profitability in farming which has just been presented to the government. Yet again we are held back by government, which brings us neatly back to Jeremy Moody’s comment!
Inheritance tax planning may require changes to title deeds or registration of land with Registers of Scotland:
With over 20 years of experience, Landmaps specialises in creating detailed, precise land registration and title deed plans tailored to meet its customers needs.
Other services include:
• GIS Mapping Solutions
• Custom Mapping Services for Farmers & Landowners
• Land Registration Plans
• Single Farm Payment Areas
Pregnancy scanning
Confirm and date pregnancies Identify
Bull semen testing
Identify
Testing and certification of pedigree bulls
Heifer pelvic scoring
Identify and remove heifers
Freeze
Numbers
Permanent
Proud to sponsor Event riders: Olivia Wilmot, Laura Swinnerton, Laura Mitchell, Ellie Bryce, Sarah Hutchison & Morag Sutherland
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Avoid S prin g Headache
Kelso Agricultural Discussion Society
Monday 24th November 2025
7.30 pm at the Cross Keys Hotel
Wellbeing
We are delighted to invite you to our second winter meeting. We will be joined by two speakers, to discuss wellbeing in farming.
Clare Dickson: Farmstrong
Clare is the Community Engagement Specialist for Farmstrong Scotland, which is a personal initiative designed to help farmers, crofters and their families build resilience Clare organises peer-to-peer events promoting mental, social and physical wellbeing, encouraging you to take time for yourself & get off-farm. Clare lives in Peeblesshire with her family and has a strong background in agriculture.
Neil Thomson: 100 for One (for RSABI)
Neil has been the driving force behind raising a phenomenal amount of money (over £75,000) for the RSABI 100 for One campaign, which in June 2025 saw a group of Borders walkers embark on a 100 mile walk along the Kintyre way, in memory of Borders farmer Neil Stewart. Neil is a strong advocate for the importance of looking after wellbeing. Admission Fee
Farmers £15.00 for the whole season (4 meetings) or £5 for a single meeting Farm staff and under 18s £3 for the whole season or £2 for a single meeting
Talking......from Lincolnshire
November 10th 2025
Will Howe is an arable farmer from Sleaford, Lincolnshire. The soils are predominantly heavy. There is 1000ha of cropping including winter wheat, spring beans, spring oats and oilseed rape. He also manages a contracting business Thorpe Farming Ltd.
I can’t explain the sense of relief when the drill pulled out of the final field of winter wheat. For the first time in 3 yrs we had drilled all the land intended for wheat from my June crop rotation. The elation lasted about 3 weeks, when it became clear that the overwintered wheat seed was not right. I had been diligent in taking a sample from 10 of the 20 bags for a full 7 day germination test, which returned an 83% success rate. So like all good farmers we just upped the rate from 200 to 238kg/ha. Simples. Although it wasn’t. Some of the bags just have not grown. 30-40 seeds can be found in a row with only a couple showing as established plants so we have had to redrill 40ha much to my annoyance. The silver lining is that conditions were reasonable so the outlook is positive.
Yet this slight bump in the road was of no significance to the next step towards my quest for farming immortality. As a result of the recently announced change in Velcourt’s business practise a neighbouring farm at Worths was coming up for tender. My excitement at 1000 acres next door was only usurped by mild hysteria when I learnt it was in fact 2200 acres. Imagine, I only needed to double equipment and labour up and I would be the third biggest farmer… in the village.
Contact was made with the family who directed us towards their agent, the laptop needed a significantly larger cooling fan to cope with the sheer volume of spreadsheets trying to harness my excitement, all machinery salesmen were put on notice that I needed some really shiny machines, and I even spoke to the bank manager to get a tentative idea of the cost of borrowing currently.
Alas there may be a big shiny combine on that farm next year, but it won’t be mine. The spreadsheets were a bit of an enthusiasm killer to be honest. Under current commodity prices a rent of £170/acre was to give me a profit of £8.80/acre, rumour has it the farm went for £230/acre which would have lost me £120k/yr. So in the end it never mattered that the agent didn’t even have the courtesy to reply to my call as there was no point finding out anymore.
So in a bid to lift my spirits I bought another tractor. Madness? Possibly, but with my machinery policy currently being based around capital employed, and therefore buying well used second hand machines I thought I should have a backup machine to the quadtrac. I had hoped the existing JD 8430 would fulfil that role but it became clear this autumn it wouldn’t so I have bought a 2013 Challenger 765C. The Deere has given 9 years service, done 4000hrs and was sold with a depreciation cost of £1.50/hr. I now have 2 tractors capable of landwork/ drilling and 2 capable of spraying which given the current weather windows does provide a level of self insurance. It is a shame multiple bags of seed can’t do likewise!
What a mess!
Goodbye old friend, and hello you shy thing
Talking......North of the Forth
November 10th 2025
Tom Pate farms 240ha of arable on a tenanted farm in Angus. Cropping includes wheat, spring barley, rye and oilseed rape along with land let for potatoes and vining peas. Additionally, around 6500 pigs are reared annually under contract and 600 Christmas turkeys sold directly to the public under the KellyBronze franchise. On his wife’s 380ha family farm in the Angus Glens they also run 200 red deer hinds plus followers for venison production, along with developing a forestry enterprise.
I have had to stop watching the News at Ten. Being reminded of the state of the world just before bed isn’t good for my nerves, anxiety or blood pressure. Ranting and raving at the TV about the stupidity, incompetence and greed of those in charge also disturbs the rest of the household. As I lie awake in my bed, grinding my teeth contemplating the world my thoughts often turn to how farming could solve so many of the world’s woes. Farmers have a practical, grounded, no nonsense approach, are used to making tough decisions and have a strong work ethic. So many agriculturalists are also great innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders. The main advantage farmers have over the current crop of politicians is that we plan and farm for the long-term future not for the short-term gain. Britain wouldn’t be in such a guddle if our elected leaders had foresight and ambitions for the country beyond the next election. Occasionally the news will also present me with problems that farming could have a practical solution for. For instance, during the covid pandemic, I spent the sleepless hours contemplating how rotary dairy parlours would work really well as vaccination centres. Step on the slowly revolving platform and by the time you’ve done a full rotation you’d have completed the paperwork, had the vaccine and even had time for a cup of tea and biscuit with the minimum of staff and maximum efficiency. If the average parlour can milk 300 cows/hour with three staff then imagine the number of vaccines it could dispense in a day. The only problem would be working around milking times and the scarcity of milking parlours in the metropolitan areas of the country! The whole of Dumfriesshire could be vaccinated in a day though…
My more recent agri-solution relates to the news that some prisons don’t have an accurate record of their inmates and often release the wrong prisoners by mistake. HMP Inspectorate obviously aren’t as rigorous as Scottish farm inspectors. Imagine if a cattle farm had an inspection and didn’t have the right records and had sent the wrong cattle beasts off to market – the farmer would face hefty fines and the inspectors would bring the full weight of the system against them. Thankfully in Scotland we have ScotEid recording all cattle births, deaths and movements. They do this very efficiently and cost effectively from their modest HQ in Huntly. Translating this across to the prison estate isn’t that much of a stretch. If each inmate was given a secure EiD (Electronic Identificaiton) tag then all their records and movements could be digitally traced around the prison. Perhaps an ankle tag would be preferable to the agricultural equivalent ear tag but let’s not discount that option too quickly… Any Prison Guard could instantly scan a prisoner and get their full details and EiD scanners located around the prison could monitor people’s movements. The technology is there and ScotEid have proven the handling of data doesn’t need to be budget busting. If you want to see rotary parlours in your local health centre and prisoners EiD tagged, vote for a farmer at the next elections!
A spot of constructive destruction required the help of a 13t digger and 6t dumper
A weekend excursion involved a boat trip up Loch Morar the deepest body of water in the UK. A stunning corner of Scotland
and
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Talking......from the boundary
Guy Lee
Not being a milk producer and with few dairy farms in this area and therefore out of touch with the sector, I was very surprised to read last week that the milk price is falling fast and there is a considerable global surplus. We expect the consuming public to understand the trials and tribulations of the economics of food production and yet even for one at the coal face it is surprising how quickly one can be behind the curve. I thought the farmgate price was around 50p/litre when in reality today it is nearer 32p. I assume that the current price of cereals is a well known fact but maybe not so by the grassland farmer who has no interest in the fortunes of arable producers. The pig price is over 10% lower than it was in October 2023. Undoubtedly lower feed costs will provide some cushion. The most simple law of economics – supply and demand – is the only real influence on price, with fluctuations caused by politics (tariffs), conflict (war), energy costs (transport), disease (avian flu) etc. 2025 has been a year of high global supply with good growing conditions, little frost damage, and sufficient moisture. I am very aware that growers in much of England have been severely affected by drought but in general terms the world has had a good harvest. Despite being told by so many ‘experts’ over the years that the growing world population and increasing incomes will mean food will always be in short supply, it seems not to be the case at present. Most of the cereal crops grown in Scotland are used to produce alcohol either grain for distilling or barley for whisky and beer. Consumption of all are declining as many of us become more health conscious, fitter and maybe use other sources for social relaxation. With supply up and demand static or reducing it can
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BRINGING GROWTH TO AGRICULTURE
From offices throughout the Scottish Borders and Northumberland with a specialist rural and agricultural department, we provide comprehensive consultancy and management service covering all aspects of rural property.
From offices throughout the Scottish Borders and Northumberland with a specialist rural and agricultural department, we provide comprehensive consultancy and management service covering all aspects of rural property.
From offices throughout the Scottish Borders and Northumberland with a specialist rural and agricultural department, we provide comprehensive consultancy and management service covering all aspects of rural property.
