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
Visit us at the Royal Highland Show Avenue R
-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
NEW MASCHIO BISONTE 280 FLAIL FRONT & REAR £7750+VAT
NEW MASCHIO PRIMO SM 316XL FERT SPREADER £6500+VAT
NEW POTTINGER SYNKRO 3030 CULTIVATOR £14500+VAT
NEW DIECI AGRIPLUS 42.7 EVO 2 VARIO 40 KPH TRANSMISSION, PUH, LED LIGHTS POA
NEW MCCAULEY 10T DROP SIDE TRAILER C/W HYDRAULIC BRAKES £9500+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 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 £1050+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
⋙ RENT FREE REFILLABLE WELDING GAS CYLINDERS
• ONE OFF REFUNDABLE BOTTLE DEPOSIT - JUST PAY FOR THE REFILL
• IN STOCK 2L, 20L & 50L BOTTLES
Take your farm efficiency to the next level
completes a circle that had been broken for some time. Twenty years ago there was an export market for game birds and shoots were paid for the surplus that the guns did not want for themselves. Over time this market has contracted, domestic demand has remained at the best static, and game dealers were charging to lift shot birds.
Guy Lee
Founded as a charity in 2014 the Country Food Trust collects venison and shot game from farms and estates all over the UK. It is taken to regional processors where it is butchered straight from the fridge or frozen at the height of the season and processed through the summer to give an even supply of meat. This is then either distributed to food banks to be cooked on site or it is processed into nutritious meals which are presented in pouches which have a long shelf life. These are very versatile as they can be heated up or eaten cold.
SJ Hunt, the chief executive of the Trust, says using supplies from hunters has been crucial. “Food banks struggle to access protein because it’s the most expensive food group but it’s also the most important food group for optimal health and the wellbeing of humans.”
In the past year the Trust processed 23 tonnes of pheasant and partridge donated by shoots across the country. These become pheasant curry, pheasant casserole, and partridge curry.
The Trust liaises with shoots before the season to work out how many birds each of them will be able to donate.
The running costs of the charity are met by donations of all sorts. Some of them come from philanthropic donors and others from legacy bequests but often it is hunters who give money monthly.
The ambition is to reduce Britain’s stubbornly high level of food poverty. According to the Food Foundation, more than 15% of families reported experiencing “food insecurity” in January this year. This means going without meals or reducing portions because of a lack of household funds.
Not only are the most needy in society supplied with nutritious meals, over 500,000 were distributed last year, almost 100,000 pouches have been donated to the front line in Ukraine.
Anybody who enjoys shooting can do their part by supporting the Country Food Trust. We take it as part of the day to thank the gamekeeper in the traditional way, I think it should be expected that every participant should also donate a sum to the charity in direct proportion to the size of the bag. There is a cost in collecting the game, storage, butchery, processing into ready meals and distributing these to the most needy. We cannot expect philanthropists and volunteers to pick up the tab, we must all do our part.
Flails
Sauerburger Condor
SILAGE PITS, FARM ROADS, DRIVEWAYS, ESTATES
SILAGE PITS, FARM ROADS, DRIVEWAYS, ESTATES
BLOCK PAVING OF PATHWAYS, DRIVEWAYS & CAR PARKS
BLOCK PAVING OF PATHWAYS, DRIVEWAYS & CAR PARKS
SURFACE DRESSING WITH NATURAL STONE FINISHES
SILAGE PITS, FARM ROADS, DRIVEWAYS, ESTATES
BLOCK PAVING OF PATHWAYS, DRIVEWAYS & CAR PARKS
SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS, PATHWAYS, CAR PARKS
TARMACADAM, ASPHALT, PATCHING & POTHOLE REPAIRS
CALL FOR A FREE NO OBLIGATION QUOTATION & SURVEY
LOCAL COMPANY WITH OVER 45 YEARS EXPERIENCE
OBLIGATION QUOTATION & SURVEY
SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS, PATHWAYS, CAR PARKS
TARMACADAM, ASPHALT, PATCHING & POTHOLE REPAIRS
DRAINAGE, KERBING, GROUNDWORKS
PRIVATE & COMMERCIAL WORK UNDERTAKEN
SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS, PATHWAYS, CAR PARKS
TARMACADAM, ASPHALT, PATCHING & POTHOLE REPAIRS
DRAINAGE,
DRAINAGE, KERBING, GROUNDWORKS
PRIVATE & COMMERCIAL WORK UNDERTAKEN
APPROVED CONTRACTOR
SURFACE DRESSING WITH NATURAL STONE FINISHES
SILAGE PITS, FARM ROADS, DRIVEWAYS, ESTATES
BLOCK PAVING OF PATHWAYS, DRIVEWAYS & CAR PARKS
WITH NATURAL STONE FINISHES
BLOCK PAVING OF PATHWAYS,
Warreners House,
Langtonlees
Broad eld Farm, Symington
Warreners House, Morpeth
Sandystones, Jedburgh
The Stiel, Yarrowford
Broad eld Farm, Symington
APPROVED CONTRACTOR
Sandystones, Jedburgh
The Stiel, Yarrowford
Broad eld Farm, Symington
Langtonlees Farm, Duns
Sandystones, Jedburgh
The Stiel, Yarrowford
Langtonlees Farm, Duns
The Stiel, Yarrowford Broad eld Farm, Symington
Langtonlees Farm, Duns
Warreners House, Morpeth
Sandystones, Jedburgh
The Stiel, Yarrowford Broad eld Farm, Symington
Langtonlees Farm, Duns
BLINKBONNY QUARRY
• ALL GRADES OF AGGREGATE PRODUCED
• DELIVERY
• COLLECTION
• READY-MIX CONCRETE
• AGRICULTURAL MIXES FOR ALL PURPOSES
• DELIVERY AND COLLECTION
FOR SALES AND ORDERS CALL BLINKBONNY WEIGHBRIDGE: 01573 460200 or 07974 968148
PART OF BREEDON GROUP– FOR OTHER LOCATIONS PLEASE VISIT: https://www.breedongroup.com/location-finder
The Old Smiddy, Graden, Kelso TD5 8BS
Telephone: 01573 430338
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:
Walker Groundworks is a well-established company, founded in 1996, with extensive experience operating across the Scottish Borders, Northumberland, and the Lothians.
• Earthworks/Site Preparation/Roads
• Crushing
• 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
• Comprehensive earthworks, site preparation, and road construction
• In house Welding Engineer/Steel Fabricator
• In house setting out engineer/surveyor
• Crushing and material processing services
• Groundworks, plot works, and civil engineering support
• Deep drainage, field drainage, ditching, and river works
• High-precision concrete flooring for agricultural and industrial buildings
• Full timber services, including harvesting, hand cutting, thinning, and clear felling
• Specialist haulage, including heavy plant movement, timber transport, and HIAB hire
• In-house welding engineering and steel fabrication services
KVERNELAND SPECIALS
Established
May
I last did some work on March 23rd which was to pull a shed on this farm. Since then I have been parked, or to put it more accurately, abandoned in the middle of the steading. I watch the comings and goings of the constant movement around me. Once a week I have to suffer the constant noise from a pressure washer which is being used all day. The high pitched whine goes right through you, it gives me the most appalling headache that no one seems to worry about. If I was asked to pull a shed the following day I would refuse – a flat battery I find works best. We have just received the letter below. It is very touching that she wants all my articles I have written going back over 15 years.
Border Crop and Grassland Management Competition 2026
Kelso and District Agricultural Discussion Society & The Border Union Agricultural Society
It’s no what ye hae it’s what ye dae wi what ye hae
The Committee invite you to a farm walk at Buchtrig, Hownam, on 27th May at 6.30pm courtesy of Mr Pete Tweedie, winner of the competition’s Hogg Cup for stockrearing in 2025. All welcome.
The competition will be held this year on 24th & 25th June. Entry forms and information will be available at the farm walk and afterwards from the Secretary and other media. For further information contact:
Alistair Hodge (Chair) 07802 290105
Maggie Magee (Secretary) 07907 621950
Dear Agrimart,
My late friend Michael has taken your magazine as long as you’ve been in existence.
I have decided to take out all the stories and collate them so that in my old age I will have something interesting to read as I’m not quite ready for the Readers digest yet.
If you’re thinking I’m mad, you’re absolutely right but you feel like a family I’ve never had. If every townie read Agrimart the world would be a better and happier place.
Not being from a farming background I’ve learned more from reading this magazine than any other publication. With best wishes,
From a very satisfied reader
Farm Secretarial Services
and on time
Software Setup & Training – Cloud accounting and MTD-ready systems
Record Keeping – Efficient, organized, and HMRC-compliant Accounts, Payroll & Taxation Services also available Please contact Gillian.Dixon@renniewelch.co.uk for more information
TEVIOT FORGE
Forging, fabrication &
Vintage
Mobile service
07802 201612
threngineering1@btinternet.com
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John Deere 5100M, 2017
John Deere 6120M, 2018
USED TRACTORS
John Deere 6R 150, 2023 choice
John Deere 6175R, choice
John Deere 6130M, 2020
John Deere 6130R, 2020, choice
John Deere 6130R, 2020, choice
John Deere 6130R, choice
John Deere 6130R, choice
John Deere 6155R, 2018 choice
John Deere 6155R, 2018 choice
John Deere 6155R, 2018
John Deere 6155R, 2018
John Deere 6155R, 2021
John Deere 6155R, 2021
John Deere 6155R, Choice
John Deere 6155R, Choice
John Deere 6R 130, 2022
John Deere 6R 130, 2022
John Deere 6230, 2009
John Deere 6250R, 2020
John Deere 6250R, 2020
John Deere 6250R,2021
John Deere 6250R,2021
John Deere 6920, 2004
John Deere 6920, 2004
John Deere 6R 175, 2023 choice
John Deere 6R 175, 2023 choice
John Deere 7R 330, 2021
John Deere 7R 330, 2021
John Deere 8400R, 2018
John Deere 8400R, 2018
Claas Arion 610, 2023
Claas Arion 610, 2023
USED TELEHANDLERS/WHEELED LOADERS
USED TELEHANDLERS/WHEELED LOADERS
Kramer KT276 Telehandler ex-demo
Kramer KT276 Telehandler ex-demo
Kramer KT3610 Telehandler ex-demo
Kramer KT3610 Telehandler ex-demo
Kramer KT407 Telehandler ex-demo
Kramer KT407 Telehandler ex-demo
Kramer KT559 Telehandler ex-demo
KT356 Telehandler, 2018
Kramer KT356 Telehandler, 2018
KT356 Telehandler, 2022
Kramer KT356 Telehandler, 2022
Kramer KT457 Telehandler
Kramer KT559 Telehandler ex-demo Spec Includes;
MACHINE OF THE MONTH
MACHINE OF THE MONTH
John Deere 6130R Tractor (2022 )
John Deere 6130R Tractor (2022 )
Spec Includes;
50Kph Autopowr Transmission
50Kph Autopowr Transmission
460/85R38 rear tyres
460/85R38 rear tyres
420/70R28 front tyres
420/70R28 front tyres
Command Arm
Command Arm
TLS front Axle Suspension
TLS front Axle Suspension
Cab Suspension
Cab Suspension
Electric Mirrors
Electric Mirrors
Front Linkage with SCV
Front Linkage with SCV
Electric Joystick
Electric Joystick
LED Worklights
LED Worklights
AutoTrac Ready (with activation)
AutoTrac Ready (with activation) IsoBus Ready
hours Retail
IsoBus Ready 2,850 hours Retail Price £87,500
CULTIVATION
Kuhn HR4004D Power Harrow A
Kuhn HR3004D Power Harrow A
Kuhn HR6004DR Power Harrow
Kuhn VM 153 6F Plough 6 Furrow
DalBo Ratoon 3 leg Subsoiler
GRASSLAND/BALERS
John Deere V451M Round Baler
John Deere V451R Round Baler
John Deere 830 MoCo
Kuhn GA13131 Grass Windrower
Bale Feeder
Flexi Coil 7.2m rollers
Kverneland S-DRILL SEED Drill
Kverneland S-DRILL SEED Drill
Kverneland p/harrow/drill Combi S-Drill Pro2 Ha
Volto 670 Tedder
3m Topper
CROP CARE
Kverneland p/harrow/drill Combi S-Drill Pro2 Ha
CROP CARE
John Deere R732i Trailed Sprayer Ha
John Deere R4140i SP Sprayer 2021 C
John Deere R732i Trailed Sprayer
John Deere R4140i SP Sprayer 2021
Allman front tank 600 Litre capacity Ha
Kverneland Exacta CL Fert Spreader Ha
Allman front tank 600 Litre capacity
Kverneland Exacta CL Fert Spreader
MISCELLANEOUS
MISCELLANEOUS
Kuhn 3570M Primor Bedder/Feeder J
Kuhn 3570M Primor Bedder/Feeder
Kuhn 3570M Primor Bedder/Feeder Ha
Kuhn 3570M Primor Bedder/Feeder
Kuhn 5570M Bedder/Feeder J
Kuhn 5570M Bedder/Feeder
Kuhn 5570 Bedder
Kuhn 5570 Bedder
Kuhn Profile 13.1C Feeder wagon
Kuhn Profile 13.1C Feeder wagon
Pack Weight Block 1300Kg
5M Grain Pusher
FARM TRAILERS
FARM TRAILERS Stewart GX15FT, Sheep Float 28ft long
GX15FT, Sheep Float 28ft long
GX24SF livestock float 24ft
Stewart GX24SF livestock float 24ft
twin axle low loader
twin axle low loader trailer
Warwick 10T flat trailer
IFOR WILLIAMS TRAILERS
IFOR WILLIAMS TRAILERS
AVAILABLE FOR HIRE
Quicke Flexgrip Bale Squeeze
3m Topper
HARVESTERS
Quicke Flexgrip Bale Squeeze
HARVESTERS
John Deere 2056 combine, 1995 J
John Deere 2056 combine, 1995
John Deere 8500 Self Propelled Forager, 22 C
John Deere S790 combine, 2022 C
John Deere 8500 Self Propelled Forager, 22 C
John Deere S790 combine, 2022 C
John Deere T560 combine, 2021 A
John Deere T560 combine, 2021
John Deere T5601, 2015 Ha
John Deere T5601, 2015 Ha
John Deere T660i, 2015 J
John Deere T660i, 2015 J
John Deere T670 HM combine, 2017 J
John Deere T670HM combine, Choice Ha
John Deere T670 HM combine, 2017 J
John Deere T670HM combine, Choice Ha
ATV/UTILITY VEHICLES
ATV/UTILITY VEHICLES
John Deere TH6x4 Diesel Ha
John Deere TH6x4 Diesel Ha
John Deere XUV855D, choice A
John Deere XUV855D, choice
John Deere XUV865M, choice
John Deere XUV865M, choice Ha
John Deere XUV865M, Choice A
John Deere XUV865M, Choice A
John Deere XUV865M, 2020 J
John Deere XUV865M, Choice C
John Deere XUV865M, 2020 J
John Deere XUV865M, Choice C
Northumberland County Show Saturday
BYREWALLS FENCING
John Renton - Agricultural Engineer, Chirnside Tel: 01890 818807 Fax:
All types of Agricultural Fencing, Garden Fencing and Decking
A & E Brown, Byrewalls, Gordon, Berwickshire TD3 6JU
Contact: Andrew 07725 583737
Euan 07774 004622 Evenings 01573 410260
WATTY DUGUID
Agricultural Engineer
• Roof & Sheeting Repairs • On-site Welding
MOTOR ENGINEER
• Grain Machinery Repairs • Kit Sheds Supplied & Built
• Gates and Feeding Troughs Made to Measure
Tel: 07506 516381 or 01890 830243 (home)
• Buildings dismantled or rebuilt • Demolition Mobile: 07740 350461
Specialising in servicing and repairs to Range Rover, Discovery, Land Rover and other 4 x 4 vehicles. COLLECTION AND DELIVERY SERVICE
J & J Grant
34 Please mention Agrimart when responding to advertising JUNE 2022
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 Email john@j-jgrant.co.uk
KENNY HALL & SON
film system are:
~ Acts as a wrapping layer for silage,straw or hay keeping them dry up to 6 foot diameter
~ Results in better shaped bales
~ Delivers high quality silage
~ Makes recycling easier
Should net wrap be required for hay or straw, this can be done with a simple changeover.
Perfect to bale your herbal leys
Our new Roc 880 crop merger offers widths of 20ft, 30ft, 40ft and 50ft. With no unwanted field contamination into your
John Gray Contracting Services
Our McHale Fusion Vario Plus is a fully automatic variable chamber baler wrapper which can apply film or net wrap to the barrel of the bale. Delivering optimum bale shape and a high density with a 25 knife chopper unit. The advantages of a chamber film system are:
Mowing
Other jobs include:
• Topping grass
• Muck spreading
• Combining
• Acts as a wrapping layer for silage,straw or hay keeping them dry up to 6 foot diameter
• Results in better shaped bales
• Delivers high quality silage
Tedding Buckraking
• Makes recycling easier
Should net wrap be required for hay or straw, this can be done with a simple changeover.
Perfect to bale your herbal leys
• Direct drilling
• Grass drilling
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•
• Raking
• Merging
• Tedding
• Buckraking
•
• Spraying 12, 24, 36m
Variable Lime Spreading
Soil testing & lime delivery also arranged
Contact Doug Thomson 07967 193438
CONTRACTORS SERVICES
Lime & Alternative Fertilisers
Other Alternative Fertilisers & Organic Products Muck & Slurry Spreading, Silage, Bailing
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.
A drier spell of weather in April allowed spring work to progress well. Spring barley was all sown up by 10th April followed promptly by the pre-emergence herbicide. Being direct drilled has, this season, I think helped the barley as the moisture has been retained in the seed bed. Whilst potato planting has, until recently, been pulling up damper soils at depth, some spring barley has gone into very dry conditions under a conventional system. The wider row spacings still takes some getting used to compared to neighbouring carpets of young barley. Some rain over the past days has helped freshen things up and kept crops going.
Oilseed rape has had its main flowering spray which is earlier than usual. This spray timing is always a tricky one to gauge as some buds are yet to open whilst others have flowered, dropped their petals and busy forming a pod. Sometimes you walk the crop and convince yourself it’s good to go but looking down on the crop from the sprayer cab realise you are either too early or too late! Plenty of other spraying to get on with. Wheat T1s now pressing so no point sweating the decision to spray the WOSR, especially as I think I have got it mostly right this year.
The grass for deer grazing and silage has had a sniff of fertiliser to get it up and away. Being on higher ground and further north it really doesn’t get going until May so an application in the second half of April is about right. The deer will be calving from midMay onwards so a flush of grass before then will be fantastic. As fertiliser prices continue to rise I have not been too liberal. The increase of clover in the swards over the years is helping this decision.
The author and his book
The main excitement this month has been the launch of my father, Ewan’s book, The Dundee Matadors. It is the fascinating story of the Matador ranch in Texas which was owned and run by a group of investors from Dundee during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Being one of the largest and best run ranches in the States had much to do with the canny Scotsmen involved. Dundee was fantastically wealthy during the 1800’s with the jute industry, especially, creating vast fortunes. Texas was a new frontier but also broke, so marrying Dundee money with Texas opportunities was an obvious solution to enterprising minds in the 1880’s.
Dad has been an agriculture journalist for many years, but this is his first book. It started with him being given some of the original ledgers of the Matador ranch that had been found locked in a safe bought at a farm roup in Lanarkshire. This along with other chance encounters and strange coincidences had made it a book he just had to write…
We are hugely proud of the work, research and travel that he has put into this. It is exciting to see the fruits of his labour in a physical hardback (now available from all good bookshops, online retailers and on our website www.southpowrie.co.uk)!
Grass getting a boost
On Our Farm
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.
One of the many reasons I love farming is that no year, week or day is ever the same. I do sometimes I wish my life could be a little less complicated. I wish for the day that everything runs smoothly and my phone doesn’t ring. My fault for having too many enterprises you are probably thinking. Last month started badly when two senior figures from the egg packer we are contracted to for our new shed turned up unannounced at the farm office. They informed me that the hatchery our pullets were coming from had been shut down by APHA due to salmonella being found in the hatchery. Our eggs were to be set that week and had been destroyed. There was going to be a minimum of a four week delay to our birds arriving, if not longer, I was told. Building a new hen shed is seriously expensive and you cannot afford for it to sit empty after construction for any length of time with large monthly interest payments. There are only two hatcheries in the UK that hatch chicks for laying hens, and this was the first salmonella issue since the late 1980s!
My mood was not helped by our winter barley which, having looked good all winter, started turning yellow in patches. I had been putting this down to waterlogging; however, my worst fears were realised when the barley started growing and the yellow patches didn’t - we had BYDV and it looks awful. Having experienced it in wheat in the south and the effect it had on yield, I hoped that we would never get it in Scotland. We will not be able to really find out what impact this virus will have until the combine starts rolling.
From Source to Supply
The final nail in the coffin was an invoice for 5,000 litres of red diesel at £1.45/l! This was swiftly followed by an email informing me that the cattle price had dropped another 20p. Last year it was hard not to make money on beef, this year is the complete opposite. In the words of the great G S-B: “stop being such a miserable bugger and just get on with it!” At least the weather has been on our side, the grass is growing, and my new hen fence has been an outstanding success. We erected 450m in less than a day thanks to my parents and children who made an excellent team. It has been well and truly road-tested by a wild steer who couldn’t break it however hard he tried. I must go; the seasonal workers I employ from an agency have not turned up to work this morning. Their driver was arrested overnight by Interpol/ immigration officers apparently. Every day is certainly different at the moment!
Why not reduce your electric bills by installing renewable energy on your property?
Whether a new solar array or adding to existing systems, commercial or domestic we are sure to have the ideal solution for you.
Contact us to discuss how we can help reduce your electricity costs
LAND DRAINAGE
LAND DRAINAGE
RIVERBANK PROTECTION/REPAIRS
RIVERBANK PROTECTION/REPAIRS
TRACK RESTORATION WORKS
TRACK RESTORATION WORKS
RIDING ARENAS
RIDING ARENAS
RIDING ARENAS
DRAIN JETTING/CCTV
DRAIN JETTING/CCTV
FABRICATION/ENGINEERING WORKS
FABRICATION/ENGINEERING WORKS
DRAIN JETTING/CCTV FABRICATION/ENGINEERING WORKS
SNOW CLEARING SERVICES
SNOW CLEARING SERVICES
SNOW CLEARING SERVICES
PLANT HIRE
PLANT HIRE
PLANT HIRE
360° / 180° TRACKED/ WHEELED EXCAVATORS
360° / 180° TRACKED/ WHEELED EXCAVATORS
360° / 180° TRACKED/ WHEELED EXCAVATORS
D61PXI (GPS) DOZER
D61PXI (GPS) DOZER
D61PXI (GPS) DOZER
REAR TIPPING DUMP TRUCKS
REAR TIPPING DUMP TRUCKS
REAR TIPPING DUMP TRUCKS
TRACTORS & DUMP TRAILERS
TRACTORS & DUMP TRAILERS
TRACTORS & DUMP TRAILERS
CRUSHER, GRADER & COMPACTION EQUIPMENT FOR ROAD RESTORATION WORK
CRUSHER, GRADER & COMPACTION EQUIPMENT FOR ROAD RESTORATION WORK LAND DRAINAGE RIVERBANK PROTECTION/REPAIRS TRACK RESTORATION WORKS
CRUSHER, GRADER & COMPACTION EQUIPMENT FOR ROAD RESTORATION WORK
CONTRACT WORKS
• Public & private water mains spring supplies
• Septic tanks / pumping stations
• Treatment works
• Deep excavations
• Earthworks / groundworks
• Thrust boring / utility works
• Land drainage / inter-drain trenchless plough
• Riverbank protection/repairs
• Track restoration works
• Riding arenas
• Drain jetting / cctv
• Mole ploughing
• Fabrication / engineering works
• Snow clearing services
• Crusher, grader & compaction equipment
• Cement stabilisation for road restoration works
• Forestry Formation Works
PLANT
HIRE
• 360° / 180° tracked / wheeled excavators
• D61PXI (gps) dozer
• Rear tipping dump trucks
• Tractors & dump trailers
STORES
We have a wide range of stock including:
• Safety Boots & Clothing
• Tools and Accessories
• Chrome North West Cleaning Products
• Drainage Coils, Twinwall, MDPE & Soil Pipe
• Exol Oil, Grease, Brake Fluid Ect
• Viking Johnston Fittings
• Philmac Water Fittings
• Consumables (Sprays, Paints, Nuts & Bolts Ect)
Scottish Borders Council Approved Contractor
Scottish Water Approved Contractor
SGN Approved Contractor
HYDRAULIC HOSE SERVICE
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Talking......Business with Edwin Thompson May 2026
Oliver Howard-Vyse is a Graduate Rural Surveyor at Edwin Thompson, based in Galashiels.
For a number of years and accelerated by an uncertain global energy market, several renewable developers have been looking at large scale wind, solar and battery storage projects on farmland in the Borders by securing large amounts of land with exclusivity agreements, based on grid connections often eight years or more in the future.
With all renewable energy developments requiring a grid connection and planning permission to progress, recent reforms by the National Energy System Operator (NESO) represent the biggest change in the sector since the removal of subsidies.
The new Gate 2 To Whole Queue (G2TWQ) system, which came into effect at the end of last year, replaces the first come first served model with one that requires developers to be demonstrably ready to build. For farmers and landowners this represents a significant change in the process of diversifying into renewable energy, with a heavily increased importance of progressing any scheme with the right developer.
G2TWQ aims to prevent speculative projects, often referred to as zombie schemes, from occupying grid capacity without realistic hope of progressing. Ofgem previously stated that approximately two thirds of projects in the previous queue were not proceeding, hindering viable schemes from obtaining realistic connection dates. NESO has set regional capacity limits with Scotland being allocated only 14,300 MW for onshore wind, 700 MW of solar and 5,800 MW of battery storage until 2030, much of which is already accounted for. These limits to the already saturated Scottish capacity, combined with recent government policy shifts, have led many developers to pivot toward English regions where more immediate capacity remains available, other than for battery storage which is currently oversupplied.
The established practise by developers of obtaining exclusivity agreements is no longer sufficient. NESO’s new “Readiness Criteria” require developers to demonstrate legal land rights for the entirety of a scheme via option agreements. Without this they cannot submit a “Readiness Declaration”, resulting in the application being relegated to Gate 1 status—essentially a waiting list with no confirmed connection date.
These criteria have fundamentally altered how developers approach schemes, particularly regarding planning. A submitted planning application is now a requirement, with schemes that have consent or are significantly far through the process being fast-tracked. Developers are now targeting only the most viable schemes in regions likely to have capacity, as costs are higher at an earlier stage with option agreements and planning applications required before a grid connection is offered.
While G2TWQ has introduced more transparency for those looking to explore renewables on their land, it necessitates partnering with a developer capable of meeting the strict criteria and timelines. Following the initial Gate 2 announcement, many developers paused projects or stopped looking at new sites, however, in the last month we have seen several developers reactivating these projects and actively seeking new sites to progress before the next NESO submission. If you are looking to explore a renewable energy project on your land, or reassess an existing approach, please get in touch with the Edwin Thompson Rural team.
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Talking
......from Lincolnshire
3G & 4G connectivity often faster than landline.
This finally let’s you cut loose from the fixed line network. Call the team at Scotphone to discuss your requirements. 44 day old spring barley looking a picture
May 4th 2026
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 wonder what might be causing climate change…
Another month, and another article about weather woes. At the time of writing the Ewerby farm has had 29mm of rain, the Spalding farm has had 22mm since 1st March, and only 17mm and 6mm respectively since drilling. Fortunately, the spring crops look well, but stress is beginning to appear and will continue to do so, as do the weeds as no pre-emergent sprays offer any real level of control without rain. My efforts to imitate Sidney Kidman have been thwarted at the first hurdle, by an issue very familiar to what the great Australian Cattle King would have faced; drought. Spring sown grass was an accepted risk, but we have had enough rain to chit it, but then it has withered. So with 25mm on the radar last Saturday night I spent the day spreading extra seed by quad bike and then turning round with the fertiliser. By the time I parked the tractor up the forecast had dropped to 15mm, but the forecast of a damp following week boosted morale. We received 5mm in 15 minutes at 9pm, and by 11:30 as we made our way home from a supper party the roads were already drying out. All of this has to be put in perspective as another of the supper guests is a proper spring barley grower. His forefathers were doing it long before Cain and Abel were a twinkle in their father’s eye, and he spent the evening checking the radar and consuming his red wine at an ever increasing pace. Last year his drought ravaged spring barley returned an average yield of 3.5t/ha and didn’t make malting so was sold as feed. All of this coupled with diesel prices, fertiliser price and the imminent fertiliser tax is leaving a trail of despondency I have never witnessed in my 20yrs running the business. The fact that this “industry depression” excites me is starting to make me question my own sanity and I have the fear my wife might stick one of those new trendy labels on me as a way of explaining this sociopathic behaviour. I of course want a fair price for my produce, having paid reasonable prices for my inputs, but there is still opportunity out there. Thorpe Farming’s wise sage (16yr old Freddie) has a saying which is frighteningly apt; “Weak men create tough times. Tough times create tough men. Tough men create good times. Good times create weak men..” There is no weaker man than the current incumbent of No 10. For a few years I have been telling anyone who wishes to listen we are headed for a 1930’s style agricultural depression, and we need to learn to live with this new world, and not allow schemes like the SFI stifle innovation and cloud core business pragmatism. Think of all the brave Scotsmen who moved South with their dogs and sticks to make the most of the opportunities in the Eastern Counties between the wars. I have also been predicting that the weather of 2025 was in fact similar to 1975, and 2026 will be our 1976. Let’s hope that at least one prediction is wrong…
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Talking
......New Zealand
May 4th 2026
Ian Mackenzie is an arable and dairy farmer from the Canterbury Plain in the South Island of New Zealand. He runs a number of fully irrigated intensive cropping farms, producing grain, vegetable and grass seeds with some stock finishing.
This time last year we were hit by a huge rainstorm that caused flooding and general mayhem. A similar tropical storm threatened again this year but decided to make the Wairarapa and Hawkes Bay the target and we were spared.
As a consequence we have been enjoying a gorgeous autumn with great conditions for establishing crops, fattening lambs and happy cows.
There is some caution about putting wheat in the ground because of high fertiliser costs and uncertainty about prices but the boys have sown reasonable areas of grass.
This gives them the flexibility to take the grass for seed or just graze it. The $ numbers for beef are that a 110kg dairy/beef X calf out of the dairy herd that has a market value of $750 at weaning in the spring, if kept through, will get $1600 as a yearling and $2800+ at 2 years.
We can run calves on pasture for that 1st year at 8-10/ha which returns a gross margin of around $8000/ha/ yr compared to wheat that is only returning a GM (after direct costs) of $2000/ha. It is pretty compelling. In the meantime, autumn means ANZAC day and then the opening of the duck shooting season.
ANZAC day is when we New Zealanders remember all those who’ve served in wars…it commemorates the debacle at Gallipoli rather than celebrating the end of the wars but is a pretty special day…and particularly special when the older grandchildren want to be part of it. And this year marked the last time we will host our shooting team for the opening of the season after 45+ years, which was another special day (albeit at a lesser scale).
There is an anti hunting lobby that attracts support from our main stream brain dead woke media that is constantly trying to find new angles as to why we shouldn’t be allowed to shoot ducks.
Last year they suggested it was sadistic to enjoy yourself while hunting…so we stopped enjoying ourselves. This year they are terribly worried that we (and our dogs) will get and spread avian flu. The leader of the twats pleaded that hunters needed to wash everything in alcohol to reduce the risk. We took her advice very seriously and liberally applied it orally to limit infection risk. And we still tried very hard not to enjoy ourselves!
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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.
I am hopeful that our planning saga is near to an end. Its looking promising on the planning front, but we will have to enter into a 30 year agreement with the council regarding our Biodiversity Net gain (BNG) obligations. The timing of us getting the muck store built and in use has been critical as we need to claim the grant from our Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship scheme, which is going towards this store, by the end of this year. We knew the CLA were working hard on getting the BNG requirements amended, but we weren’t sure on the timings or if they would succeed. The good news is they have succeeded, the timing didn’t work for us, but its great news going forward. From July 2026 the BNG obligation will only apply to planning over 0.2 ha, so from a farm perspective we can now apply for farm buildings up to 0.2 ha without any BNG on a 28 day notice. Great news for farmers and a big win for the CLA.
With those planning requirements changing we will be applying for a new cattle shed alongside a roof for the smaller silage pit on a 28-day notice. The plan is to refashion the cattle buildings at Garden House to house sheep over January, February and March to rest the ground during those cold, non-growing months. All the Cattle will then be at East Shield which will save Michael precious time feeding and road use on the JCB and tractors, hopefully creating a much more efficient system. Ideally, we want to make our system more efficient all the way through. It’s not going to happen all at once, but where we can we are making changes. We’ve traded in the front and rear mower and bought a triple mower for this year’s cut.
The heifers have gone through the selection process for bulling or fat. We’re selling a few bulling heifers down to a farm in Hereford and also selecting for our own replacements. They’ve had a vet inspection, pelvic measured, weighed, temperament checked and then on selection, received their vaccines for Leptospirosis, BVD and Huskvac. All the yearlings have received a mineral bolus and been turned out. It definitely feels like we are ahead of where we were last year on all the jobs, cattle turned out, 9 left to calve in the sheds, 50 odd ewes left to lamb. Silage fields are getting cleared and dosing will start next week. We’re keeping an eye on the nematodirus risk but will talk with the vet over the coming weeks to have a plan in place.
We had our annual RSPCA audit last week, which is always a joy. Of all the audits, it is the longest, the one requiring the most detail and the one with hundreds (it feels like hundreds) of new rules to trip you up on. We have been tripped up on our checking of rat traps. The new RSPCA rules require all traps to be checked twice a day! We have Good Nature traps which should mitigate against this rule, however the RSPCA inspector wasn’t so sure. No one wants to think of any animal suffering, but it’s a hard circle to square to need to check rat traps twice daily.
Deadline date for the JULY issue is Friday 5th June
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